When Sis. Lynn Wade became the Provincial Grand Master of the Hamilton District of the Independent Order of Oddfellows several weeks ago, we reported how her many international contacts in the UK, Canada and the US had increased manifold.

So she was naturally excited when a copy of the Santa Paula Times came across her desk. She was quick to make the association with her own historic Somerset landmark, the four-face clock in Somerset Manchester Unity lodge (bottom, far right).

The lodge's history dates back to the late 1800s. And Prov. Lynn shared in the elation displayed by the folks of Santa Paula, California, when its historic Unity Oddfellows clock (top, far right) began ticking again after decades of silence. Santa Paula is a city within Ventura County and had a population 28,598 at the 2000 census. It has been dubbed the "citrus capital of the world".

Lynn (pictured left), among other things, is a treasurer and trustee along with Bro. Norbert Simmons, who is head of the Somerset Independent Order of M.U. and fellow Oddfellows who are currently engaged in completing the massive restoration of the lodge following its devastation by Hurricane Fabian.

Assisting in the restoration as a volunteer consultant is Dr. Edward Harris, our fellow Mid-Ocean News columnist. He highlighted the efforts of the Somerset M.U. in his interesting feature in the Mid-Ocean News titled 'Time from on High'.

Dr. Harris, executive director of the Maritime Museum, last year engaged his friend Dr. James Cloutman, who is a renowned authority on clocks, to do some research on our own Somerset Clock. Coincidentally, our clock continued to be the most reliable timepiece for the residents of the West End evidently when the people of Santa Paula were without the services of their timepiece.

Our Somerset clock clearly bears the name of its manufacturer, James Benson of Ludgate Hill, UK.

So Dr. Cloutman went to work with the Benson historians, learning that the company was established in 1749. But there is little in the literature until about 1860 when the firm was one of the leading makers of turret clocks and continued such work until well into the 1900s. The company made more than 300 turret clocks in a 50-year period, one of which is our landmark in Somerset.

The clock is housed in the tower of the Manchester Unity Hall and is of the cast-iron, flat-bed type, with plumber block uprights

The lead-off work is neatly arranged on a central brass column attached to the top of the movement, and does not require separate mounting as can be seen in all of the photos showing the interior of Somerset M.U. which Dr. Cloutman excitedly took during his stay in Bermuda as a guest of Dr. Harris.

He noted that our clock has survived well in situ, but mainly due to the fact that the whole clock is kept well oiled and greased, which has protected it from the elements.

Greasing, he stated, is generally considered bad practice to oil wheels and pinions. That causes rapid wear of pinions in long case clocks because the oil collects dirt and grit, which is ground into the softer brass and acts as a very effective lap, wearing away the harder steel pinions.

In this instance, the older stalwarts who took pride in building and maintaining the Somerset clock knew what they were doing.

They earned the praise of Dr. Cloutman, who wrote: "However, the wheels are so well oiled, and regularly brushed clean, that corrosion is kept at bay and the clock is in good condition, although the tower is in need of attention."

We cite the foregoing because our Somerset Manchester clock may have a great deal in sync with that of the people of Santa Paula who probably are rejoicing with us, that their M.U. clock has finally caught up with ours. And knowing the intensity of Dr. Harris and Dr. Cloutman, we can rest assured that we will see in due course.

Meanwhile Sis. Lynn and Bro. Norbert said the groundwork for the complete and early restoration of Somerset M.U. hall is being put, hopefully, in a highly productive mode.