[LONGITUDE]. [QUEEN ANNE]. Anno Regni Annae Reginae Magna Britannia, Francia, & Hibernia, duodecimo. London: John Baskett and the assigns of Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, deceased, 1714. 2o (306 x 203 mm). (Some browning to text.) Contemporary tooled calf, red leather gilt spine label. Provenance: Some early marginalia. FIRST EDITION. The 23 acts of the first session of Parliament of 1714, including An act for providing a publick reward for such person or persons as shall discover the longitude at sea, pp. [353]-357, one of the first known examples of a reward offered by a government to stimulate scientific research. 20,000 was offered for a method of discovering latitude at sea to within half a degree; lesser amounts were offered for less precise solutions. The reward was not claimed and the problem was unsolved until John Harrison (1693-1776) invented the chronometer in the 1760s. Horblit 42a; Norman 2. -- [GEORGE III] An Act for rendering more effectual ... An Act for providing a Publick reward for such person or persons as shall discover the longitude at sea .... London: Mark Basskett; and the Assigns of Robert Baskett, 1762. 2o (334 x 209 mm). Disbound. Paginated: [673]-678. Norman 3. -- [SHORT, James]. An account of the Proceedings, in order to the discovery of the Longitude: in a Letter to the Right Honourable ******. London: T. and J.W. Pasham, 1763. 4o (239 x 192 mm). (Some minor marginal dampstains). Disbound. Provenance: an early hand-correction. first edition. "This pamphlet gives a history of the efforts to discover a reliable means of finding the longitude, as well as an account of the various tests to which Harrison's timekeepers were subjected" (Norman 1941). -- [SHORT, James]. A Narrative of the Proceedings related to the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea; by Mr. John Harrison's Time-Keeper; subsequent to those published in the Year 1763. London: for the author, and sold by Mr. Sandey, 1765. 8o (195 x 125 mm). Disbound. FIRST EDITION. Norman 1942. -- [HARRISON, John (1693-1776)]. An Act for granting to His Majesty a certain Sum of Money out of the Sinking Fund ... for paying to John Harrison for further Reward for his Invention of a Time-keeper [drop-title]. In: Anno regni Georgii III ... decimo tertio. At the Parliament begun ... the Tenth Day of May ... 1768. London: Charles Eyre and William Strahan, 1773. 2o (315 x 194 mm). Disbound. Norman 999. -- [GEORGE III] An Act for the repeal of all former Acts concerning the longitude at sea ... and for the more effectual encouragement and reward of such person and persons as shall discover a method for finding the same .... London: Charles Eyre and William Strahan, 1774. 2o (311 x 192 mm). Disbound. Paginated: [1485]-1496. Norman 4. (6)

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[LONGITUDE]. [QUEEN ANNE]. Anno Regni Annae Reginae Magna Britannia, Francia, & Hibernia, duodecimo. London: John Baskett and the assigns of Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, deceased, 1714. 2^o (306 x 203 mm). (Some browning to text.) Contemporary tooled calf, red leather gilt spine label. Provenance: Some early marginalia. FIRST EDITION. The 23 acts of the first session of Parliament of 1714, including An act for providing a publick reward for such person or persons as shall discover the longitude at sea, pp. [353]-357, one of the first known examples of a reward offered by a government to stimulate scientific research. 20,000 was offered for a method of discovering latitude at sea to within half a degree; lesser amounts were offered for less precise solutions. The reward was not claimed and the problem was unsolved until John Harrison (1693-1776) invented the chronometer in the 1760s. Horblit 42a; Norman 2. -- [GEORGE III] An Act for rendering more effectual ... An Act for providing a Publick reward for such person or persons as shall discover the longitude at sea .... London: Mark Basskett; and the Assigns of Robert Baskett, 1762. 2^o (334 x 209 mm). Disbound. Paginated: [673]-678. Norman 3. -- [SHORT, James]. An account of the Proceedings, in order to the discovery of the Longitude: in a Letter to the Right Honourable ******. London: T. and J.W. Pasham, 1763. 4^o (239 x 192 mm). (Some minor marginal dampstains). Disbound. Provenance: an early hand-correction. first edition. "This pamphlet gives a history of the efforts to discover a reliable means of finding the longitude, as well as an account of the various tests to which Harrison's timekeepers were subjected" (Norman 1941). -- [SHORT, James]. A Narrative of the Proceedings related to the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea; by Mr. John Harrison's Time-Keeper; subsequent to those published in the Year 1763. London: for the author, and sold by Mr. Sandey, 1765. 8^o (195 x 125 mm). Disbound. FIRST EDITION. Norman 1942. -- [HARRISON, John (1693-1776)]. An Act for granting to His Majesty a certain Sum of Money out of the Sinking Fund ... for paying to John Harrison for further Reward for his Invention of a Time-keeper [drop-title]. In: Anno regni Georgii III ... decimo tertio. At the Parliament begun ... the Tenth Day of May ... 1768. London: Charles Eyre and William Strahan, 1773. 2^o (315 x 194 mm). Disbound. Norman 999. -- [GEORGE III] An Act for the repeal of all former Acts concerning the longitude at sea ... and for the more effectual encouragement and reward of such person and persons as shall discover a method for finding the same .... London: Charles Eyre and William Strahan, 1774. 2^o (311 x 192 mm). Disbound. Paginated: [1485]-1496. Norman 4. (6)