Accession No

6623

Brief Description

tray with four chronometers for keeping sidereal time, by R. and H. Molyneux, Cope and Molyneux, Edward John Dent, and William B. Crisp, English, early to mid-19th Century

Origin

England; London

Maker

R. and H. Molyneux Cope and Molyneux Dent, Edward John Crisp, William B.

Class

horology; astronomy

Earliest Date

1823

Latest Date

1862

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, other); glass; wood; cloth

Dimensions

6623.1: 95mm (width) x 46mm (height) x 97mm (depth) 6623.2: 121mm (width) x 73mm (height) x 121mm (depth) 6623.3: 6623.4: 6623.5:

Special Collection

Provenance

Transferred by the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OHA.

Inscription

Description Notes

Tray with four chronometers for keeping sidereal time, by R. & H. Molyneux, Cope & Molyneux, Dent, William B. Crisp, English, early to mid 19th century. Used at the University of Cambridge Observatory in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

6623.1: Chronometer for keeping sidereal time made by R. and H. Molyneux. No. 2748, c. 1838. Has bracket to fit observing end of Northumberland telescope. Chronometer has two brass pins on top and bottom that can be screwed in (for attaching to to telescope?). Also comes in brass case with handle. Silvered face. Chronometer has subsidiary seconds dial.

6623.2: Chronometer for keeping sidereal time made by Cope & Molyneux, No. 438, c. 1823. Silvered face with subsidiary dial for counting seconds and crest (unidentified) painted on. Comes in solid wooden casing which can be sealed to hold the chronometer within using a brass frame. Also has brass handle, and 1840 engraved underneath brass frame near hinge.

6623.3: Chronometer for keeping sidereal time made by Dent, No. 689, c. 1840. Silvered face with two subsidiary dials, one for counting seconds and another for measuring when to wind the chronometer. Mounted in gimbal which can be locked in place using brass attachment in box. Also has hole which contains key for winding. Contained within a pine(?) wooden box which opens at two points. At the lower point, the chronometer can be freely accessed to be wound. This lower point can be locked although the object did not come with a key (it is currently unlocked). The box opens again at a higher point which has a glass window to protect the chronometer. The box also has two brass handles.

6623.4: Chronometer for keeping sidereal time made by William B. Crisp, No. 521, C. 1862, and additional pine box with leather strap. Chronometer mounted on a brass gimbal within ebonized or mahogany wood box. Silvered dial with two subsidiary dials, one for counting seconds and another for measuring when to wind the chronometer. Also contains key for winding in insert in top left and gimbal can be fixed with brass knob. Box has two brass handles and when closed the face is entirely visible due to a hole in the lid.
Box can be locked (again there is no key) and is reinforced with brass at the corners and labelled “SIDEREAL CHRONOMETER WITH HARTNUP’S IMPROVED COMPENSATION BALANCE.” This chronometer and box is contained within another wooden box (pine?) which has two brass hooks to seal and also a leather strap which is broken. Box is lined with cushioned baize to protect chronometer.

6623.5: Wooden tray with fittings to hold all chronometers and hook for keys. Keys are not fixed in place. Tray has three raised wooden sides and two handles.

References

Events