In the early 1880s the firm J.J. Elliott, Ltd, of London manufactured massive hall clock movements of the highest quality. They were in at the start of a great resurgence of interest in longcase clocks in Britain and America. In 1884 Mr. J. Harrington of the firm Harris and Harrington obtained a patent for bell chimes (tubular bells) and had Elliott adapt these to the (Elliott) movements. Elliott produced movements for for the next 40 years and were always the quality standard for the industry. The Elliott Clock Company also marketed complete clocks with their movements.

“Harris and Harrington” were J.J.Elliott's “sole agents to the trade” in the US. H&H also made cases into which they installed Elliott movements and Harrington chime tubes (made by John Harrington of Coventry, England, often credited as the inventor of the tubular bell chime). This is a bit confusing as the “H&H” Harrington was Allen Wardner Harrington of the United States. It is not clear if he was related to John Harrington of England.

It is also interesting to note that, at the same time, Walter H. Durfee of Rhode Island, Frank Herschede of Cincinatti, R.J. Horner in NY and about a dozen others were doing much the same thing, making cases for Elliott's movements with John Harrington's tubular bell chimes. Tallcase clocks made by any of this group with these components are still a prized treasure today.

Side note: Herschede obtained his movements, tubular bells, and possibly the cases through Durfee, but H&H obtained theirs directly from Elliott in London. Durfee did not have Elliott put the Elliott name on their movements, instead, (sometimes) stamping them "Walter Durfee, Providence, R.I", H&H stamped H&H next to the Elliott name.

(For more detailed information, please see the article published in the NAWCC Bulletin, April, 1996, p.154).