Skip to content

Oliver Cromwell's watch goes on permanent display

Katy Prickett
News imageThe Cromwell Museum A close-up of the inner workings of an oval-shaped 17th Century silver pocket watch. It shows the gold and silver coloured cogs and the wheels of the interior. The name of its maker is etched on the lower half of the oval, on the right.The Cromwell Museum
The watch shows how skilled the craftsmen of the time were

An "astonishingly small and beautiful" pocket watch believed to have belonged to Oliver Cromwell has been bought by a museum.

The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, launched a fundraising appeal in 2024 to help it add the timepiece to its collection.

It has now gone on permanent display in its new home, thanks to grants from Art Fund and the National Lottery's Heritage Fund and donations by the public.

"It's lovely to get to this stage when it's on display in its proper home," said curator Stuart Orme.

"It's a beautiful item, it's got a pretty good provenance – as good as you can get after nearly 400 years."

News imageThe Cromwell Museum A 17th Century portrait of Oliver Cromwell, with shoulder-length curling mid-brown hair and moustache, wearing a white lace collar done up at the neck over a yellow under-jacket, above which is grey armour. He looks at the viewer with dark eyes.The Cromwell Museum
Oliver Cromwell would have worn the "astonishingly small and beautiful item" on a chain or ribbon, tucking it into his waistcoat when not in use, Stuart Orme said

The museum owns the world's leading collection of material relating to the life of the Civil War leader, who was born and educated in the town.

The timepiece was made by a watchmaker who lived two doors down from Cromwell in London from 1647, and it would have been an expensive purchase.

News imageThe Cromwell Museum A silver-coloured oval-shaped 17th Century watch. The clock face is round and set into the top, with a gold rim etched with numbers and a silver interior with arms. It has a hanging loop.The Cromwell Museum
The silver Puritan-style timepiece indicates the date as well as the time, but it does not have a minute hand

Orme said: "It was acquired when Cromwell had risen from relative obscurity to become second-in-command of the Parliamentarian army, so was a sign of his rising status at the time.

"Also, in a time when there was no standardised time, when most people lived by their town or village church clock or got up when the sun rose and [went] to bed at sunset, it's a sign of his importance – he needs to be in places at a certain time."

The watch was sold at auction in 2019 by a descendant of John Blackwell, one of Cromwell's officers, and its new owner offered it for sale to the museum.

Blackwell was Cromwell's military treasurer and married to one of his cousins. His descendants believe Cromwell gave the watch to their ancestor while on campaign in 1650.

Blackwell was also prominent during Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector in the 1650s and, many decades later, he became governor of Pennsylvania.

The only other surviving watch associated with the 17th Century leader is in the British Museum.

News imageThe Cromwell Museum A very broad brimmed black hat resting on a table, dating to the 17th Century. It has become rusty coloured over the centuries and its crown is missing some small pieces. The Cromwell Museum
This broad-brimmed hat reputed to have belonged to Cromwell is is among the museum's collection

Art Fund, with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation, awarded £40,000 towards the watch's purchase while the Heritage Fund made a grant of £55,000.

There were also grants from The Cromwell Association and The Sealed Knot re-enactment society.

Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said it was "a marvellous addition to the Cromwell Museum's collection".

The Heritage Fund's Liz Bates said it was delighted to help bring the watch home to "the very building where he went to school".

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Related stories
Related internet links