George Graham (watchmaker)
George Graham (born July 7, 1673 in Horsgill in the parish of Kirklinton , Cumberland , England , † November 16, 1751 in London ) was an English watchmaker , to whom a number of important developments can be traced back.
Life
His father was also called George Graham. After seven years of apprenticeship with Henry Aske in London, Graham worked from 1695 for Thomas Tompion , the "father of the English watchmaker", with whom he was friends until his death in 1713. Graham became a partner in Tompion and married his niece Elizabeth. He joined the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1695 and was promoted to master in 1722. Graham died on November 16, 1751 at his home on Fleet Street, London. He was buried in the tomb of Tompion in Westminster Abbey .
Notable developments
- 1715: the first static lever escapement for pendulum clocks , known as the Graham escapement
- 1720: Cylinder escapement based on the Sautrog escapement invented by Tompion
- 1726: Clock pendulum with mercury expansion vessel to compensate for the influence of temperature
- 1727: Zenith Telescope, now in the Royal Observatory Greenwich, used by James Bradley > Aberration
Honors, miscellaneous
In 1721 he was accepted as a member (" Fellow ") in the Royal Society .
Graham disliked banks and kept his money in some sort of safe. He lent large sums of money to friends without charging interest; one of the so sponsored was the instrument maker James Harrison.
Famous students
Due to Graham's widespread reputation, he had many talented associates, some of whom also became famous, among others
- Jonathan Sisson (1690–1749), who went into business for himself after his apprenticeship in 1722 and was a sought-after designer of astronomical and geodetic measuring instruments
- John Bird (1709–1776), at times also a partner in Sisson; Navigational instruments and the most accurate wall quadrants for over 10 observatories
literature
- Frederck J. Britten: Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers. A history of styles in clocks and watches and their mechanics . Bloomsbury Books, London 1990, ISBN 0-906223-69-5 (repr. Of the London 1932 edition)
- Claus Bernet : Graham, George. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 31, Bautz, Nordhausen 2010, ISBN 978-3-88309-544-8 , Sp. 514-517.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ GH Baillie, C. Clutton, CA Ilbert: Britten's Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers . Bonanza Books, New York (USA) 1956.
- ↑ The archives of the Royal Society give November 20, 1751 as another possible date of death.
- ↑ Bradley's 12½-foot Zenith Sector (1727)
- ^ Entry on Graham; Alastair (1906-2000) in the Archives of the Royal Society , London
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Graham, George |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English watchmaker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 7, 1673 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Horsgill in the parish of Kirklinton , Cumberland , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 16, 1751 |
| Place of death | London |