Early American Scientific Instruments and Their MakersBedini, Silvio A.
History
Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers
Bedini, Silvio A.
Scientific apparatus and instruments
Enos Doolittle (1751-1806), a nephew of Isaac Doolittle, Sr., made,
sold, cleaned, and repaired clocks and surveying and marine compasses
from 1772 through 1788 at his shop in Hartford. He also sold these items
through agents in Saybrook and Middleton.[46]
One of the best known of the Connecticut clockmakers was Peregrine White
(1747-1834), of Woodstock. White was a descendant of the first Pilgrim
child, and a native of Boston. After serving an apprenticeship, he
worked as a clockmaker and silversmith in Boston. He was accused of
forging silver spoons and left the city to settle in Woodstock. He
established his own shop west of Muddy Brook Village.[47] In addition to
fine tall-case clocks, for which he was noted, White also produced
surveying compasses, one of which is in the collection of the U.S.
National Museum (fig. 23). A similar specimen in Old Sturbridge Village
is reputed to have been used for surveying the town of Southbridge,
Mass.
Benjamin Hanks (1755-1824), of Mansfield and Litchfield, inserted a
notice in a newspaper in 1808 to notify the public that he and his son
Truman Hanks, in partnership, had "surveyors compasses upon the
Rittenhouse improved plan" in addition to such other commodities as
brass cannon, bells from their own foundry, clocks, goldsmith's items,
and stocking looms.[48]
Ziba Blakslee (1768-1834), of Newton, worked as a clockmaker, goldsmith,
and bell founder and he advertised that he made and sold surveying
instruments.[49]
In New Haven, Clark Sibley and Simeon Marble organized the firm of
Sibley & Marble and advertised that in addition to repairing swords and
cutlasses, clocks and watches, they also repaired mathematical and
surgical instruments.[50]
[Illustration: Figure 23.--Brass surveying compass made about 1790 by
Peregrine White (1747-1834) of Woodstock, Connecticut. USNM 388993.]
One of the instrument makers of New England who has remained relatively
unknown was Benjamin Platt (1757-1833), who was born in Danbury,
Connecticut, on January 3, 1757.[51] He married Adah Fairchild of the
same city in 1776, and it is believed that he must have completed his
apprenticeship by that date inasmuch as apprentices usually were not
allowed to marry.
It is not known how long Platt worked in his native city, but by 1780 he
had moved to Litchfield, where he worked in gold, silver, and brass. He
became established as a clockmaker and produced tall case clocks and
other types. In 1787 he was in New Milford, a town adjacent to Danbury,
where he produced surveying compasses (see fig. 24). Three years later,
in 1790, he was at Milford, where he invented a "Compass for measuring
distance in hilly country." In 1793 he returned to New Milford, where he
made a clock to order for Eli Todd, and by 1800 he had moved to
Lanesboro, Massachusetts.
_Ohio_
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