Early Clocks
And
Sundials
A
400-Year-Old
London Sundial, 1625
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Before clocks arrived in England, sundials were being used to tell the time. However, even after the arrival of early clocks, sundials were still very important during the 16th and 17th centuries because the earliest domestic clocks prior to the invention of the pendulum were not always accurate, and so domestic clocks had to be reset regularly using sundials as a reference. The earliest lantern clock makers would often sell their clocks accompanied by a small brass sundial that was made by the clockmaker himself, or alternatively, for some of the more prestigious London clocks and wealthier clients, the sundial could have been made by a Mathematical Instrument Maker - Just like the wonderfully interesting example shown below which is signed E.C’ and dated 1625. This fascinating early dial is the subject of my article and is illustrated alongside historically important events that happened during the year of 1625 which turned out to be one of the most historically important years in the history of the British monarchy. Also revealed is the identity of the sundial’s possible London maker who was living and working during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century
400-Year- Old sundial, signed E.C' and dated 1625. Showing a very interesting brass London sundial that was made during one of the most historically important years in the history of the British monarchy.
This small horizontal dial is comprised of a thin brass scale plate measuring four and a half inches square with securing holes at each corner, the central plate is engraved with a roman numeral scale around the outer circumference with hour division lines terminating to decreasing circles motifs to the centre. The South point of the scale is also engraved with the initials E.C’ and the date 1625 with the North point behind the gnomon provided with a cross-pattée. The dial retains its original, thin brass knife-edge gnomon (with restored tenons), and has a fringed back edge which is typical of this early period.
Above. Showing an angled view of the early E.C' 1625 sundial. Note the cross-pattée and fringed back knife-edge gnomon
The dial was made in the same year as when the King of England, Scotland and Ireland, James VI and I, died on the 27th of March 1625 and was then succeeded to the throne on the same day by his second son, Charles I, who also married Henrietta Maria, daughter of the King of France on the 1st of May 1625 by proxy at Notre Dame and in person at Canterbury the following month. This succession would eventually have devastating consequences throughout the entire land as an unpopular King Charles would go on to steer England into a brutal and bloody civil war which ultimately lead to his own death when he was executed outside the banqueting hall in Whitehall on the 30th January 1649.
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Above. Portrait of King James I. He died on March 27th, 1625 and was then succeeded to the throne by his second son, Charles I National museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Above. Portrait of a young King Charles I who succeeded his father King James I in 1625. Gerard van Honthorst, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Above. On the 1st May 1625 Charles I married Henrietta Maria, daughter of the King of France, by proxy at Notre Dame and in person at Canterbury the following month. Charles handing a laurel wreath to Henrietta Maria, by Daniël Mijtens. Daniël Mijtens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Below. After a rocky start, Charles and Henrietta Maria of France settled into the kind of complacent domesticity to which political matchmaking aspired, and from this came nine children. Two of those sons – Charles II and James II – would end up kings. Henrietta Maria and King Charles I. Painted by Anthony van Dyck in 1633, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Who is E.C'
signed E.C’ and dated 1625, this extremely rare James I and Charles I period brass London sundial survives today with its original thin brass knife-edge fringed gnomon (with restored tenons) and was possibly made by the London Mathematical Instrument Maker Edward Coolinge who was living and working during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century.
The "Darnley Portrait" of Elizabeth I of England, c1575. Unidentified painter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. E.C, the maker of this sundial was born around the same time or perhaps shortly after this painting was created.
Research and investigations into the E.C' 1625 dial by Dr John Davis of the British Sundial Society (who recently wrote a piece for the BSS about this dial), discovered some very interesting facts about the dial including that it has been made by a very competent individual and that the dial was originally made to be used in London. After John measured the angle of the original thin brass knife-edge fringed gnomon (with restored tenons) to a London latitude, he then measured the angles of the hour lines relative to the noon and found the dial to be very accurate and comparable to the best mathematical instrument makers of the period – to a London latitude of 51.6 degrees.
The hour numerals (inward facing) are punched rather than engraved as is common on these early dials. The small stars for the half-hours are also punched and the cross-pattée for noon is formed from two punched ‘I’s at right angles and denotes this dial was made by a professional Mathematical Instrument Maker as apposed to clockmaker as sets of punches were expensive and was far more time consuming to execute.
Above. Showing the hour numerals, small half-hour stars and cross-pattée for noon are all punched rather than engraved and denotes this dial was made by a professional Mathematical Instrument Maker as apposed to clockmaker as sets of punches were expensive and was far more time consuming to execute.
Having determined that EC was likely to be a London MIM –mathematical instrument maker – (rather than, say, a provincial clockmaker), a more determined search for likely candidates was undertaken. Searching the alphabetical list in Gloria Clifton’s Directory provided a candidate name of Edward Coolinge. There is no actual entry for Coolinge but he appears, without dates, as the master for a Robert Limborow (with various alternative spellings) who does have some details listed. Limborow was made free of the Goldsmith’s Company in 1604 and is known to have been working with premises in “the lower end of Gutter-Lane, neere the Goldsmith’s Hall” in 1619. Note in passing that this is before the formation of the Clockmakers’ Company (to which London MIMs were expected to belong) and that early dial makers such as Isaac Symmes were goldsmiths. Assuming a standard seven year apprenticeship, that would mean that Limborow was bound to Edward Coolinge in 1597. To be a master at this date, Coolinge would have to have been 21 years old at the very least and probably a few years older. This would place his date of birth as before 1576 meaning he would have been 49 or over when he made the 1625 dial. This is very possible but the other ‘EC’ dial identified in the earlier article, dated 1642,is more of a stretch – Coolinge would have been at least 66 years old. Whilst this is not impossible it is rather unlikely. One possible explanation is the Coolinge had a son also named Edward (or perhaps Edmund) who carried on the family tradition. Similar occurrences such as the two George Adamses and Jonathan and Jeremiah Sisson in the 18th century are well known.The use of punches for the numerals increases the likelihood of a family style, or perhaps the employment of a journeyman when EC’s eyesight began to age.
Coolinge’s apprentice Robert Limborow (or Limborough) seems to have had a successful career as a mathematical instrument maker although no sundials by him are currently recorded. He is, though, known to have made a calculating device named the “Arithmeticall Jewell” which was invented by William Pratt (see Fig. 5) and he advertised this fact in almanacs for 1618.
Conclusions
A possible maker for the EC 1625 dial has been identified as Edward Coolinge. This is by no means certain but he is the only London mathematical instrument maker with those initials currently known to have been working at the right period: research is ongoing to find more details of his life. The dial has been sympathetically restored and although it is not faultless it provides another valuable piece in the story of dial developments in the early 17th century.
Showing the hour numerals, small half-hour stars and cross-pattée for noon are all punched rather than engraved and denotes this dial was made by a professional Mathematical Instrument Maker as apposed to clockmaker as sets of punches were expensive and was far more time consuming to execute.
with its restored tenons after the original tenons had been snapped off many years ago
Recent research and investigations into the dial by Dr John Davis of the British Sundial Society found the dials original thin brass knife-edge fringed gnomon (with restored tenons) who recently wrote a piece for the BSS about this dial
had a London latitude. that this early dial was possibly made by the London Mathematical Instrument Maker Edward Coolinge who is thought to have been born during the 1570s, under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
