Credit: © The Royal Society
Image number: RS.8470
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Regulator
Date
ca. 1760
Creator
John Shelton (1712 - 1777, British ) , Clockmaker
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Subject
Content object
Description
A long-case regulator in a veneered mahogany case with three legs. The face comprises a large minutes outer dial and a small inner seconds dial, and is inscribed: 'John Shelton London' inscription. The pendulum is visible via a glass pane at the bottom of the case.
John Shelton (1712-1777) British horologist was not a Fellow of the Royal Society. He made five regulators for the Society in the 1760s for timing the transits of Venus. This clock accompanied Captain James Cook (1728-1779) on his second and third voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean.
John Shelton (1712-1777) British horologist was not a Fellow of the Royal Society. He made five regulators for the Society in the 1760s for timing the transits of Venus. This clock accompanied Captain James Cook (1728-1779) on his second and third voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean.
Object history
After the discovery voyages, this clock was used by Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855) in the Arctic; by George Airy (1801 - 1892) and William Whewell (1794-1866) in their 1826 attempt to discover the density of the earth, and; by Sir George Nares (1831-1915), also in the Arctic.
Related fellows
James Cook (1728 - 1779, British)
Associated place