Lot Essay
The first known issue of Arnold No. 276 was in 1810-1811 to the Honourable East India Company's Ship Ann, (vide India Office Library L/MAR/B.211G.), Captain Peter Cameron. Ann, of 508 tons, was built in 1800 and her ports of call included Madras and Bengal. Captain Cameron supplied his own personal chronometer; beside Arnold No. 276, he also had a No. 487 - probably by Earnshaw, and Barraud Nos. 579 and 850. On 5 January 1830 Arnold No. 276 was sent to the Royal Observatory it now being Government property.
On 17 May 1830 No. 276 was one of three chronometers issued to Captain Alexander Vidal R.N. of the Hydrographic Office for 'Particular Service' in H.M.S. Leveret Lieutenant Henry Worth R.N. and H.M.S. Onyx Lieutenant George Dawson R.N.
Their surveying instruction, ordered personally by Captain Francis Beaufort R.N., the Hydrographer of the navy, was to proceed to the waters off the north west coast of Ireland and search for Aitkins' Rock, using Buncrana in Loch Swilley (sic) as their base.
The hazard to navigation for which they were sent to search was understood to be a small rock only a few feet above sea level. It was first reported in July 1740 by John Aitkin, Master of the ship Friendship of Ayr, when on passage from Virginia to Whitehaven off the Solway Firth. He reported on his arrival at Whitehaven: "I find the rock lies in Latitude 55°18'N and longitude, from the meridian of London (then St. Paul's Cathedral) 11°14'W."
Over the next hundred years it was reported in a number of different positions and was believed to have been responsible for the loss of a number of vessels that had disappeared without trace. It was to clarify once-and-for-all whether or not Aitkins' Rock really existed that the Hydrographer instituted the search.
Between May and September 1830 a large area was searched and Arnold No. 276 was taken ashore at Buncrana to be rated using an 'artificial horizon' instrument. The conclusion reached after such a diligent search was that Aitkins' Rock did not exist; the original object sighted was thought probably to have been the water-logged root of a large tree.
No. 276 was returned to the Royal Observatory 16 September 1830. On 4 October 1834 it was issued to H.M.S. Talbot Captain Follett Pennell R.N., for use on the South America Station.
On 20 October 1838 it was issued to H.M.S. Swift Lieutenant David Welch R.N. at Falmouth.
On 22 September 1844 it was issued to H.M.S. Cruizer Commander Edward G. Fanshawe R.N. at Chatham. In June 1857 it was given to Dent 'with ¨30' for a new chronometer.
On 17 May 1830 No. 276 was one of three chronometers issued to Captain Alexander Vidal R.N. of the Hydrographic Office for 'Particular Service' in H.M.S. Leveret Lieutenant Henry Worth R.N. and H.M.S. Onyx Lieutenant George Dawson R.N.
Their surveying instruction, ordered personally by Captain Francis Beaufort R.N., the Hydrographer of the navy, was to proceed to the waters off the north west coast of Ireland and search for Aitkins' Rock, using Buncrana in Loch Swilley (sic) as their base.
The hazard to navigation for which they were sent to search was understood to be a small rock only a few feet above sea level. It was first reported in July 1740 by John Aitkin, Master of the ship Friendship of Ayr, when on passage from Virginia to Whitehaven off the Solway Firth. He reported on his arrival at Whitehaven: "I find the rock lies in Latitude 55°18'N and longitude, from the meridian of London (then St. Paul's Cathedral) 11°14'W."
Over the next hundred years it was reported in a number of different positions and was believed to have been responsible for the loss of a number of vessels that had disappeared without trace. It was to clarify once-and-for-all whether or not Aitkins' Rock really existed that the Hydrographer instituted the search.
Between May and September 1830 a large area was searched and Arnold No. 276 was taken ashore at Buncrana to be rated using an 'artificial horizon' instrument. The conclusion reached after such a diligent search was that Aitkins' Rock did not exist; the original object sighted was thought probably to have been the water-logged root of a large tree.
No. 276 was returned to the Royal Observatory 16 September 1830. On 4 October 1834 it was issued to H.M.S. Talbot Captain Follett Pennell R.N., for use on the South America Station.
On 20 October 1838 it was issued to H.M.S. Swift Lieutenant David Welch R.N. at Falmouth.
On 22 September 1844 it was issued to H.M.S. Cruizer Commander Edward G. Fanshawe R.N. at Chatham. In June 1857 it was given to Dent 'with ¨30' for a new chronometer.