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Printed card advertising various inventions by Massey including his sounding machine, patent log, marine chronometer and pendulum regulator.

Scope and Contents Minutes of Board of Longitude meetings regarding, among other matters, tables devised by José Mendoza de Ríos; correspondence with John Crosley (the astronomer with the expedition to New South Wales); a claim for a reward for Charles Mason's work on lunar tables; a report on the Arnold and Earnshaw chronometers going on the voyage of Captain Matthew Flinders; grants and awards to chronometer-makers; the observations of Nathaniel Bliss when he was Astronomer Royal; models of watch escapements...

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True copies made by Massey of letters from mariners who had tested his sounding machine at sea and found it successful. Correspondents include John Sibrell, Lieutenant and Commander of HMS Piercer (8 Dec. 1808), Nathaniel Denham, Master of HMS Daphne (10 Oct. 1809), Thomas Stokes (31 May 1810), John Tapper (22 July 1810), and Alexander Lumsdale, Master of the Caledonia (7 Sep. 1810). These were originally enclosed with a letter from Massey to the Board of Longitude [RGO 14/31: 115-116].

Scope and Contents Printed pamphlet containing reports by various mariners who had tested both Burt's sounding buoy and knipper and Edward Massey's sounding machine at sea, in compliance with the instruction of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty. Reports are provided from Rear Admiral C. Rowley, Commander J. Gedge, Lieutenant and Commander J. Hill, Captain J. Smith, Captain W. McCulloch, Captain C.W. Hawtayne, Captain Robert Lisle Coulson, Lieutenant and Commander W. Smith, J. Morows, and Captain W.S....

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Informing Burt that the Admiralty had been instructed to conduct a comparative trial of his sounding instrument and that of Edward Massey.

Scope and Contents This section contains correspondence with Massey, including Massey's claim for a reward for his inventions and copies of letters sent by various mariners who had tested his machines at sea. It also includes three printed pamphlets on Massey's patent log and sounding machine by Egerton Smith and Robert Bill, and a public advertisement for a comparative trial of his sounding machine against ‘Gould and Burt’s Buoy and Knipper’ [RGO 14/31: 145-149].For further papers relating to Massey, see...

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Letter to the Board of Longitude enclosing five copies of an advertisement announcing a public trial of the comparative merits of Massey's sounding machine and 'Gould and Burt's Buoy and Knipper'. These were originally enclosed in a letter to Captain Thomas Hurd [RGO 14/31: 143-143a].

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Copy of a letter from the Admiralty Office to Sir John Barrow [Second Secretary of the Admiralty] containing an extract from the proceedings of the Board of Longitude, requesting that the Admiralty arrange a comparative trial of the sounding instruments of Peter Burt and Edward Massey.

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Letter to the Board of Longitude which originally enclosed a memorial on his perpetual log or perambulator; sent from Lambeth.

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Letter to Dr Thomas Young proposing to present three new inventions to the Board: a marine thermometer, a watch beating Royal Seconds which would serve as a Journeyman Watch, and a watch with decimal seconds. Massey also mentions that he had previously received a reward of £200 by the Board of Longitude for his sounding machine, and a further premium of £500 from Mr Perceval.

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Enclosing a memorial with copies of letters relating to his sounding machine. The memorial is at [RGO 14/31: 117-119] and the letters are at [RGO 14/31: 111-114].

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Concerning his preparation of chronometers for trial on the forthcoming 'Northern voyage'. Massey explains that he had been preparing two chronometers for the voyage but that they would not be ready on time. He offers his first chronometer for trial, requesting however that should it fail the results not be made public, as it was still under development.

Scope and Contents From the Sub-file :

Five letters sent by Massey to Captain Thomas Hurd and Dr Thomas Young. The letters also make reference to Massey's sounding machine and patent log.

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Includes a copy of a letter sent to Massey from Robert Pullman, Master of the HMS Ville de Paris, concerning his sounding machine.

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Five letters sent by Massey to Captain Thomas Hurd and Dr Thomas Young. The letters also make reference to Massey's sounding machine and patent log.

Scope and Contents From the Sub-file :

Five letters sent by Massey to Captain Thomas Hurd and Dr Thomas Young. The letters also make reference to Massey's sounding machine and patent log.

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Enclosing a letter and advertisements to lay before the Board of Longitude.

Scope and Contents From the Sub-file :

Five letters sent by Massey to Captain Thomas Hurd and Dr Thomas Young. The letters also make reference to Massey's sounding machine and patent log.

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In which Massey refers to a letter he received from George Gilpin stating that the Board could not take into consideration inventions which had been patented. Massey requests the return of his papers, should the Board refuse to make an exception.

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Twelve reports and two letters.

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Informing Massey that his memorial and letter on his perpetual log and sounding machine had been presented to the Commissioners of Longitude.

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Letter from James Lash, a Master in the Royal Navy, to John Wilson Croker reporting on his trials of the sounding instruments of both Edward Massey and Peter Burt. Lash reports that both machines gave true soundings, but Burt's machine broke within a few days.

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Letter from Massey to the Board of longitude providing the results of the comparative trial made between his sounding machine and 'Gould and Burt's Buoy and Knipper'. Preceded by a related letter of enclosure to Thomas Hurd. For an advertisement for the public trial see [RGO 14/31: 145-149].

Scope and Contents Memorial concerning Massey's construction of a correct log. Massey first outlines the problems with the existing log in use, quoting from various writers on the subject. He then submits details of the construction of his improved log, outlining how the various errors associated with the old log did not apply to his machine, followed by reports from those who had tried it (with reference to the printed pamphlets on his patent log). The memorial ends with a request from Massey for any reward...

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Memorial in which Massey outlines the defects of the existing common log, before describing his own perpetual log. The memorial includes testimonials by mariners who had tested his machine at sea.