Skip to main content
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Harrrison's Chronometer
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Harrrison's Chronometer
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Harrrison's Chronometer
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Harrrison's Chronometer

Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Harrrison's Chronometer

Associated (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)
Medallist
DateMay 2004
Object NameMedal
MediumSterling Silver
ClassificationsMedals
AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS072500.28
About MeThe problem of finding the longitude of a place either at sea or on land bedevilled exploration, commerce, warfare and map making for centuries. Latitude, north and south, was fairly easily obtainable by measurement of the sun's elevation at midday. This method had been used since it was developed by the Portuguese in the 15th century. But though two theoretical systems were known there was no practical way of determining longitude, and in consequence not only merchant ships but whole fleets of naval vessels were lost through errors of navigation and charting. Moreover, it was often impossible to find land already discovered because its position was never accurately determined.

The longitude of a place is the difference between the meridian on which it stands and some standard meridian. The time of the local meridian can be determined by relatively simple observations and calculations. If the time of the standard meridian is known then the difference constitutes the longitude of the place, east or west. But to know the time on the standard meridian involved the possession of a highly accurate timekeeper able to maintain its accuracy through, in Newton's words, 'The Variation of Heat and Cold, Wet and Dry, and the Difference of Gravity in different Latitudes, such a Watch has not yet been made'.

It was John Harrison who provided such a timekeeper. He was a carpenter from Yorkshire and he pursued the problem for 47 years, building four timekeepers before Larcum Kendall's copy of the fourth was so gloriously proved by James Cook. Harrison was paid the official reward of £20,000 for his achievement, rather grudgingly and in instalments spread over 10 years as the trials of his fourth chronometer, his masterpiece, progressed. But bearing in mind the value of the sum at the time, he died a very prosperous man at the age of 82 in 1776.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Britain
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Britain
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Britain's First Nuclear Submar…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Britain's First Nuclear Submarine- HMS Dreadnought
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal :'The Great Seal of Trinity Hou…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal :'The Great Seal of Trinity House'
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Great Migration
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Great Migration
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Henry Grace A Dieu'
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Henry Grace A Dieu'
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: 'Sir Martin Frobisher The Nort…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: 'Sir Martin Frobisher The North West Passage'
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Sir Walter Raleigh The Foundin…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Sir Walter Raleigh The Founding Of Virginia'
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Sir Francis Drake's Circumnavi…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:'Sir Francis Drake's Circumnavigation'
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The 1786 Merchant Shipping Act
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The 1786 Merchant Shipping Act
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Opening of Pacific Whaling
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Opening of Pacific Whaling
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: First Fleet of Australia
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: First Fleet of Australia
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Vancouver Discovers West Coast…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Vancouver Discovers West Coast of America
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Glorious First of June
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Glorious First of June
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Battle of the Nile
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Battle of the Nile
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Matthew Flinders Survey of Coa…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Matthew Flinders Survey of Coast of Australia
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: HMS Victory at Trafalgar
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: HMS Victory at Trafalgar
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:Comet on the Clyde
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:Comet on the Clyde
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Herefordshire
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Herefordshire
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Bombardment of Algiers
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Bombardment of Algiers
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:Sir Stamford Raffles Developmen…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal:Sir Stamford Raffles Development of Singapore
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Aaron Manby First Iron Streams…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Aaron Manby First Iron Steamship
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Royal National Lifeboat In…
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The East Indiamen
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The East Indiamen
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004