This long-lived firm had a very high reputation for watches and clocks, concentrating particularly on the Indian market, where an agency was maintained. The founder of the firm was James Mc Cabe, one of three horologist sons of the watch- and clockmaker William Mc Cabe of Lisburn in Ireland, who moved to London in the third quarter of the 18th century. In 1778, he was located at 11 Bell’s buildings, Fleet Street; in 1783, at 34 King Street, Cheapside; in 1788, at 8 King Street; and in 1804, at 97 Cornhill, Royal Exchange. In April 1781, he was admitted an honorary freeman of the Clockmaker’s Company, being summoned to take up the livery in 1787. Although Mc Cabe used a wide variety of escapements, he is particularly associated with the improvement of the duplex escapement. On his death in 1811, he was Senior Warden of the Company. He was succeeded in business by his son, also named James, who for reasons unknown had been apprenticed to the Edinburgh makers Reid & Auld and was not free of the Clockmaker’s Company of London until 1822.The business continued at 97 and 99 Cornhill until 1838, when the Royal Exchange was destroyed by fire, thereafter continuing at 32 Cornhill. Subsequently the business was continued by Mc Cabe’s nephew, Robert Jeremy Mc Cabe, who closed the business when he retired in 1883.

· Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers, London, 1932, pp. 792-793.

· Allix, Charles, & Bonnert, Peter, Carriage Clocks, their History & Development, Woodbridge, 1974, pp. 278-281.