Robert Currer was a native of Peebles and set up business at 42 High Street in Falkirk in 1839. He became an elected member of Falkirk Town Council and got the contract to maintain the clock in the Steeple. He was active in local affairs and acted as a director of the Falkirk Industrial School and the Town Mission. He was assisted for a time at least by his brothers John and George and retired from his business in 1875, selling it to William Muir. Robert Currer died on 27 January 1878.
There are two of his longcase clocks in Falkirk Museum, accession numbers:
1981-12-1 – Face with white dial, “ROBT. CURRER, FALKIRK.” The four continents appear in the spandrels, “Europe” – Britannia holding a sceptre with warship in the background and owl in the foreground; “Asia” – seated woman beside a table with a long-handled fan in right hand and scale containing gold coins in the left, camel behind; “America” – Indian with feather head-dress and bow and arrow; “Africa” – woman with feather head-dress and a snake and crocodile. The arch contains a picture of “The Queen The Highlands” showing Queen Victoria riding side-saddle on a horse escorted by kilted Highlanders and gillies on ponies.
1999-76-1 – Face with white dial, “ROBT. CURRER, FALKIRK.” The four continents appear in the spandrels, similar to the previous but have been badly touched up “Europe” – Britannia with a warship and altar in the background; “Asia” –woman holding an umbrella for shade with an onion-shaped dome in the background; “America” – Indian with feather head-dress and bow and arrow; “Africa” – woman with feather head-dress and a snake and crocodile. The arch contains a picture of a sailing ship between two cliff-lined shores and a lighthouse. The ship is on a separate piece of metal and is attached to the pendulum to that it would have bobbed to and fro. It was coated with luminous paint.
Falkirk Local History Society 