Nathaniel Mulliken made this clock. That, in itself is not that great a deal. What’s great about seeing this clock is that, after April 19th, 1775, there were no more clocks made by Nathaniel.
Nathaniel wasn’t dead, or even injured that we know of. But he would never make another clock. It is said that his youngest brother, Joseph made cabinets for clock but Joseph was only ten when Nathaniel stopped making clocks.
Okay, enough silliness and suspense.
Remember I’ve talked about how dangerous a retreating army is? Well, that’s exactly what the town of Lexington experienced on the afternoon of April 19, 1775. The Redcoats were in disarray. The most feared army in the world had just been undone by the Rebel Alliance made up of farmers and tradesman and they left Concord, beating a hasty and disorganized – and just plain fearful – retreat back to Boston – 18 miles away.
They were tired, hungry, running out of ammunition and had to run the gauntlet made up of thousands of Colonial militia men and minutemen. When they got to Lexington, thankfully, they were met by reinforcements sent by General Gage. Lord Percy set up cannons at the Munroe Tavern and gathered the tired and wounded Redcoats there to rest and get medical attention.
Just down the road from the Tavern, lay the Mulliken home and clock shop. It too was commandeered by the Redcoats. At least one dead Redcoat soldier would be found later in the day with a Mulliken clock works in his pocket. When the Redcoats left Lexington, they burned the Mulliken property and several others to the ground.
Nathaniel would soon join the Continental Army and would not return.
Hence, no more Mulliken clocks.