In the United Kingdom, the name was Longcase clock. In the United States, the name was Tall-case clock in the 18th century, then Grandfather Clock was adopted in the 19th century. The name comes from a song composed by an American, Henry Clay Work, entitled “My
Grandfather’s Clock” (1876), inspired by the story of a longcase clock at the George Hotel in Piercebridge, England, where he stayed. When its first owner died, the clock ceased to hold the time properly. When the second owner died, it stopped working.
A Howard Miller grandfather from the 1990s, with Westminster chimes and lunar phases, is illustrated. Note the gridiron lyre-shaped pendulum. To rewind the clock, one has to pull on its three chains.
In Denmark, the name for the Longcase is Bornholmerur (Bornholm clock).
In Holland, it is named Staande Klokken (Longcase clock) in the 17th century and Amsterdammer (Amsterdam longcase) in the mid-18th century.
In Sweden, they are called Mora.
