Hon. Walter Folger

The Honorable Walter Folger Jr. (1765-1849) was a self-taught mathematician, scientist, and astronomer, as well as a lawyer, inventor, and U.S. Congressman. Folger married Anna Ray in 1785 and the couple had ten children. In 1787, Folger finished construction of his "astronomical" tall-case clock and set it in motion. The clock tells not only the time of the day, but the motion and declination of the sun, the phases and motion of the moon, the day of the month, and the year.

Sources

1. The Walter Folger Clock
2. Folger Family Papers, 1676-1952
3. Proceedings of the Nantucket Historical Association, Volumes 16-20. By Nantucket Historical Association. Page 4
4. barney genealogical recordnantucket historical association - person page 716