By the time of his famous advertisements in October/November of 1658, Fromanteel gives two addresses where his clocks may be obtained; one was his own workshop in Moses Alley, Southwark, in the Parish of St.Saviour's - on fringe of city; the other was Thomas Loomes' workshop at "The Mermaid" in Lothbury, at heart of the city. It is not entirely clear what "The Mermaid" infers - house numbers did not exist - perhaps a hanging wall-sign depicting the mythical sea-creature? Loomes has suggested a busy tavern on the ground floor with workshops above.

Of Thomas Loomes, (Baillie gives "CC. 1649-74), only lantern clocks are known, all originally made with balance wheel control, ie. pre-pendulum, so he may have died during the great plague in 1665/6. If he did survive the plague, then possibly any pendulum clocks he made were sold exclusively under his father-in-law's more prestigious name.

THE DUTCH CONTRACT
As Dobson suggested, Fromanteel senior must undoubtedly have looked over his son's shoulder, (just as Huygens must have over Coster's, because of Patent rights being implicitly revealed). John Fromanteel was just 18 years old when he signed that pivotal historic deed in early September 1657 to make the new pendulum clock movements on Christiaan Huygens' principle (also to learn some undisclosed 'secret', that Dobson showed was Huygens' endless-rope maintaining power). Their contract was notarised by notary Josua de Putter in The Hague.



Dr Plomp published a facsimile of the manuscript contract (in municipal archives at The Hague) in his "Spring-driven Dutch pendulum clocks 1657-1710" (page 21, fig.19). The manuscript is difficult to read because of the handwriting, the archaic language used and the many scored-out phrases.

In his book "De slinger als tijdmeter" (The pendulum as timekeeper), R.D.Dobson transcribed the contract in modern Dutch. His condensed English interpretation can be found in "Huygens, The Secret in the Coster-Fromanteel 'Contract' The Thirty Hour Clock". (Antiquarian Horology, Summer 1980, page194). I quote Dobson's English interpretation:

"On 3 September 1657, I, Josua de Putter, notary public, admitted by "den Hove van Hollandt" living in the Hague, declare, that Salomon Coster master-clockmaker and John Fromanteel master-servant clock-maker make the following agreement. Fromanteel will make clocks in Coster's shop or house from 3 September 1657 till 1 May 1658, clocks as Fromanteel had already made some. Coster pays Fromanteel for each clock made of brass and steel twenty Carolus guilders [but] if the brass and steel has been delivered by Coster for maximum 18-10-0. Coster will pay the expense of Fromanteel and will show Fromanteel a clock just like the clocks Fromanteel is to make (but with the secret in it) before 1 May 1658, but will not show it before Fromanteel has finished his clocks and Coster has paid him as he is due to do. Coster and Fromanteel promise to do as agreed", etc.,etc.

POLITICS
These were uncertain times in England: king Charles I had ruled for eleven years without parliament, from 1629 to 1640. Religious differences between Anglican High Church and the Presbyterians - put simply, between English crypto-Catholics and protestants - ran high. In 1642 those divides led to a civil war and in 1649 the king himself was condemned and executed. In 1653 Oliver Cromwell was named Lord Protector, a sort of presidential guardian of society. Ahasuerus stood in Cromwell's camp, even appearing to have enjoyed a personal relationship. His "freedom of the City of London" in 1656 was very probably thanks to that connection. By 1658 Oliver Cromwell's health had failed and he died on 3rd September 1658 after a long illness.

Against this background it is clear why his son John had signed-off at Salomon Coster's in May 1658 and returned to London by August, so that as early as October 1658 Ahasuerus Fromanteel's now famous advertisement could first appear in "Mercurius Politicus" reading:

Clearly evident from this advertisement was his approval by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, who had just died on 3rd September that year, when the new political situation brought Ahasuerus great uncertainty. Cromwell's son Richard ("Tumble-down Dick") was unable to secure order and fled England. The royal house's star was revived by the restoration of Charles II in May 1660. Promises of amnesty and freedom of conscience were not kept: political promises are usually of little worth. Many were tried and the royalists also vented their wrath upon the bodies of Cromwell and his supporters. Ahasuerus was, of necessity, obliged to keep a low profile. Yet noted patricians like John Evelyn and Christiaan Huygens sought out his works, visited his workshop and drew inspiration from him. in preference to royal clockmaker Edward East?

THE TECHNICAL REVOLUTION
The advertisement in "Mercurius Politicus" is remarkable for being so soon after the insights John Fromanteel had obtained in Holland - central to which was the escapement of the Hague clock with a short pendulum - with the Fromanteels already being in a position to offer clocks going for a year upon just one winding. The advertisement also declares that such clocks can be made with a spring or a weight drive. The latter is a convenient starting point of the longcase clock, initially with short pendulum! One may deduce that, if applied to anticipated year long duration, its accuracy cannot have been excellent. Yet with a long pendulum, especially later with anchor 'royal pendulum' escapement, it would be improved. We still believe the anchor escapement was first applied circa 1670, the long pendulum cross-beat being somewhat earlier; but prevailing wisdom does not credit Ahasuerus Fromanteel with either.

[Translator's note: my own studies of extant evidence suggests Fromanteel contributed to both].



QUESTIONS RISING FROM HUYGENS' USE OF PENDULUM
Many questions arise. Edwardes & Dobson asked, could Ahasuerus (and John) have had some prior knowledge and experience of applying the pendulum to clockwork? The contract itself might well indicate so. Why did Huygens permit England's foremost competitors access to Coster's workshop and his new inventions? Was John Fromanteel's 'work experience' in Holland merely to "dot the i's and cross the t's"? Why did Huygens not seek Patent rights in England as he later unsuccessfully sought in France? Equally, despite Fromanteel not being born an ethnic Englishman - certainly he was no 'continental fool'- might not Huygens' inventions have hurt his own pride and also dented xenophobic English egos?

Further, how was it possible for year-going pendulum clocks to be made so soon after the return of the 19 year old youth John in (August) 1658? Ahasuerus had himself worked as a clockmaker for nearly 30 years, when son John arrives from Holland with that revolutionary application of Galileo's pendulum. Thereafter - within a few months - Fromanteel advertised that clocks could be made to go for a year on one winding. Brian Loomes found this improbable, as it pre-supposes a year long test proving that seemingly would have had to ante-date Huygens' first application of pendulum to his novel crutch - being his admitted real invention [with his endless-rope maintaining-power].
 
RETURNING TO POLITICS
When Charles II had mounted the throne in June 1660, the political and social situation in England was not propitious for the Fromanteel family, Ahasuerus could not so easily throw off his republican reputation and new Anabaptist sympathies; these surely brought him disadvantages financially. Nevertheless he stood by his principles and maintained his acumen and his reputation.

Arrest warrants were issued for two former officers of Oliver Cromwell's now disbanded army described as two of the most dangerous men from the north. It seems they went undercover at Thomas Loomes' place in The Mermaid at Lothbury. All three men were arrested and thrown into the Tower of London. But given his good behaviour Thomas was released on surety of bail put up by Ahasuerus Fromanteel. Also in 1660, Ahasuerus' wife Maria died. He remarried that same year to Sarah Winnock, widow of a textile merchant with four children. She too came from the Dutch community, from Colchester. He had to make financial provisions for her children, requiring a financial undertaking that he ultimately could not reconcile, leading to litigation in July 1664 that lasted several years.

THE DISASTERS OF 1665/1666
The summer of 1665 was the hottest in living memory, ideal conditions for the outbreak of plague, later called the 'Great Plague'. The death rate passed 1,000 people a day for September 1665. The Fromanteels too did not escape the slaughter; Ahasuerus's second wife Sarah died, also John, his silk-merchant brother and nothing more was heard of his son-in-law Thomas Loomes. So it may be assumed he too perished. Subsequently, on 2nd September 1666, fire broke out in Pudding Lane, London - 'The Great Fire" - razed much of the City, including Thomas Loomes' Lothbury workshop. Ahasuerus meanwhile had moved to Colchester to escape London's pestilences. Clues suggest that he had survived infection by the plague but bore its external stigma thereafter.