Clock movement for Shelton regulator clock

Made:
1768-1769 in London
maker:
Shelton, John
Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case.  One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case.  One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case.  One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions Face of Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case.  One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society Clock face of Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case.  One of five such clocks sent with Royal

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case. One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case. One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case. One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society expeditions
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Face of Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case. One of five such clocks sent with Royal Society
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Clock face of Regulator clock by John Shelton with glazed mahogany case. One of five such clocks sent with Royal
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Movement for regulator clock with dead beat escapement, inverted grid iron pendulum with steel knife edge pivot on an agate plate and bubble level. Originally made by John Shelton, Shoe Lane, London, 1768-9, with later modifications.

Regulator clocks were used as reference timekeepers for astronomical observations and gravitational experiments.

Five regulator clocks were made by clockmaker John Shelton for use during observations of the transit of Venus in 1769. One was taken by James (later Captain) Cook to Tahiti for his transit observations there; Cook later took two of the other Shelton regulators on his subsequent voyages. Inadequate evidence survives to determine if this clock was one of those used by Cook.

It is known that this clock was despatched on a variety of voyages during the 1800s, including aboard William Edward Parry’s search for the North West Passage in 1819-20.

The wooden case in which the movement is fitted, part numbered separately, was made in the 1880s whilst the clock was in use by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey.

For more information on the five Shelton regulator clocks, see:

Howse, D and Hutchinson, B. (1969), ‘The Saga of the Shelton clocks’, Antiquarian Horology, pp. 281-298

Details

Category:
Time Measurement
Object Number:
1914-591 Pt1
Materials:
brass, complete and steel
Measurements:
overall (movement without dial): 260 x 130 x 140 mm
type:
instrument component
taxonomy:
  • furnishing and equipment
  • measuring device - instrument
  • timepiece
  • clock
  • component - object
credit:
Meteorological Office