Scope and Contents

The Royal Observatory Admiralty chronometers account book recording payments made to chronometer makers.

Scope and Contents

Admiralty papers sent to Pond concerning the fitting out of H M Ships with chronometers.

Scope and Contents From the Series: The collection contains a complete set of astronomical observation ledgers, with clock error notes, computation ledgers, star catalogues, weather records and correspondence. There are observations of comets, including measurements taken of Encke's Comet, 1828, and Halley's Comet, 1835, and observations of rockets, made with Sir James South in 1831. The papers include Pond's measurements for his work on the proper motions of stars, stellar parallax and other subjects, as well as substantial...

Scope and Contents

Printed accounts of the weekly sums of the daily rates of chronometers selected for purchase by the Admiralty and on trial at the Royal Observatory between August 1840 and August 1865, including an abstract of the principal changes of rate. The item for 1842 and 1843 includes an appendix to the report.

Scope and Contents

Printed accounts of the rates of chronometers on annual trial at the Royal Observatory with a view to purchase by the Admiralty, 1866 and 1887-1889.

Scope and Contents

Printed accounts of the rates of chronometers on annual trial at the Royal Observatory between the months of July to January in the years 1889-1904 and between June to January during 1904-1908, with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty.

Scope and Contents

Printed accounts of the rates of box and pocket chronometers on annual trial at the Royal Observatory during 1908-1914 with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty. There are annual rates for box chronometers during June-January and for pocket chronometers during August-November.

Printed account of the rates of box chronometers on trial at the Royal Observatory during June 1914 to January 1915 with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty.

Scope and Contents Printed account of the rates of deck watches on annual trial at the Royal Observatory during November 1888 to February 1889 with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty.Printed accounts of the rates of deck watches on annual trial at the Royal Observatory between the months of October to February in the years 1889-1904 with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty.Printed accounts of the rates of deck watches on annual trial at the Royal Observatory during October 1904 to...

Scope and Contents Printed account of the rates of chronometer watches and pockets chronometers on annual trial at the Royal Observatory with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty, 1914.Printed account of the rates of chronometers on annual trial at the Royal Observatory during July 1893 to January 1894 with a view to their purchase by the Admiralty.Printed accounts of the rates of chronometer watches on annual trial at the Royal Observatory during 1906-1913 with a view to their purchase by...

Scope and Contents Correspondence concerning the trial of chronometers at the Royal Observatory, 1894-1895, including:(i) Notice of the trial to be published by the 'Horological Journal'.(ii) Copies of chronometer rates.(iii) Copies of letters to Usher and Cole, A. Johannsen and Co., F.J. Clerke, Frodsham and Keen, and M.F. Dent requesting that they withdraw their chronometers from the trial due to their poor performance.(iv) Rough abstract on the annual trial of...

Scope and Contents Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy, trade journals and chronometer-manufacturers concerning the annual trials of chronometers and deck watches at the Royal Observatory, including:(i) Notices to trade journals.(ii) Correspondence with F.J. Britten.(iii) Results for chronometers in order of merit.(iv) List of chronometers purchased by the Admiralty.(v) 'Rough Abstract of the Annual Trial Box Chronometers'.(vi) 'Abstract of the...

Scope and Contents Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy and various trade journals concerning the annual trial of box and pocket chronometers and deck watches at the Royal Observatory, including:(i) Results for chronometers in order of merit.(ii) Reports and memoranda.(iii) List of chronometers purchased by the Admiralty.(iv) 'Rough abstract of Annual Trial Box Chronometers'.(v) 'Abstract of Annual Trial Centre Seconds Pocket Chronometers'.(vi)...

Scope and Contents Correspondence concerning the annual trials of chronometers and watches at the Royal Observatory:Table showing the greatest change in rate, from one week to the next, of various chronometers during the annual trials of 1856-1880, compiled 1885.Correspondence concerning the annual trial of chronometers, 1885, including a rough abstract on the chronometer trial of that year, a letter of withdrawal from the horologist W.G. Schoof, a list of chronometers entered in the trial, a...

Scope and Contents Correspondence concerning the purchase and loss of chronometers:Correspondence with E. Dent and Co., J. Poole and Co., T. Hewitt and other watchmakers asking for a quote for making deck watches, 1885.Correspondence concerning the purchase of chronometers from Messrs Williams, Moore, Shephard and Son, J. Poole and Co., and Reid and Sons, 1885.Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy concerning the purchase of chronometers and deck watches,...

Scope and Contents General correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy, 1894-1896, concerning the trial of chronometers, the number of chronometers available for issue to the Navy, the inspection of the book of weekly chronometer rates by the Assistant Hydrographer, and the distribution of 'B' class chronometers.Correspondence between the Hydrographer of the Navy, the Astronomer Royal and members of the Royal Observatory staff concerning the issue of chronometers, 1896-1897, including lists of...

Scope and Contents Correspondence with the Admiralty concerning the annual trial of deck watches, 1900.Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy concerning the shipment of chronometers and instructions on the direction of invoices, 1900-1901.Correspondence concerning damage to chronometers in transit due to bad packing and revised instructions for packing, 1904.Correspondence concerning the alteration in the times of the diurnal trials of chronometers and deck watches,...

Scope and Contents Correspondence with Lady Lockyer concerning the storage of Royal Observatory chronometers at her house in Sidmouth for the duration of the war, 1940.Correspondence with Professor Greaves of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, concerning the transportation of chronometers from Greenwich to Edinburgh for safety during the war, 1940.Correspondence with His Majesty's Chronometer Depot concerning arrangements for the removal of stocks of Admiralty navigational equipment from Bristol...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding chronometers and time signals, divided into nine sections:'Chronometers, Admiralty'.'Chronometers, Naval Offices'. 'Time Signals, Cape Town', 1891-1894.'Time Signal, Docks (C.T.)' 1891-1895.'Time Signal, Simon's Town': reports of the Postmaster, miscellaneous correspondence and telegrams, and telegrams on special signals sent.'Time Signal, Port Elizabeth': reports of the lighthouse keeper.'Port Elizabeth...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding chronometers and time signals, divided into nine sections:'Admiralty', 1896-1899.'Naval Offices', 1895-1900.'Correspondence with the Astronomer Royal Greenwich', 1895-1899.'Signals and Telegraphs Generally', 1896-1900.'Docks Time Ball Reports', 1896-1899.'East London Time Ball Reports', 1898-1900.'Port Elizabeth', 1896-1900.'Simonstown Time Ball Reports', 1896-1900.'Miscellaneous Correspondence',...

Scope and Contents Correspondence concerning time signals, including the following material:Correspondence with E. Dent and Co. regarding irregularities in the Westminster Clock, tables of errors for the clock and newspaper cuttings relating to it, 1902-1906.Correspondence regarding the installation of a wireless-telegraph receiving station at Greenwich, 1912-1914.Correspondence of 1912-1915 regarding the inauguration of a wireless-telegraph time service from the Eiffel Tower and...

Scope and Contents

Correspondence between the Admiralty Office and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, requesting the loan of chronometers for H M Ships. The principal recipient is John Pond; the principal correspondent is John Barrow. Other correspondents include John Croker, Richard S. Dundas, G. Smith, John Franklin and Sir William Edward Parry.

Scope and Contents Outgoing correspondence regarding many astronomical and nautical subjects, including accounts with printers, the production of the 'Nautical Almanac', expeditions to Australia, a reward for a method of making glass of a sufficient quality for instruments, the trial of various timepieces and their employment on board Royal Navy vessels, replies to projectors proposing various methods of finding longitude at sea, and instructions for astronomers (including William Gooch on board the Daedalus...

Scope and Contents Correspondence with T. Lewis and E. Dent and Co. concerning repairs to clocks and correspondence with W.H. Shepherd, 1888-1889.Correspondence with Victor Kullberg concerning the tender for the supply of new electric dials and the repair of old ones, 1897-1899.Correspondence with clockmakers, principally V. Kullberg and Dent and Co., concerning repairs to Royal Observatory clocks and chronometers, 1901-1911.Internal memoranda on the subject of clocks, chronographs and...

Scope and Contents Correspondence and papers regarding quartz clocks, including the following items:Correspondence with M.L. Bateman and A. Hunter regarding the new the 'Isatome' portable quartz clock, 1963.Letter from H.M. Smith to the Division of Scientific Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, regarding Russian work on quartz clocks, 1957.Correspondence with H.M. Smith concerning the Time Department's move to Herstmonceux and the performance of ring crystals, including graphs,...