At an early age of 20, John Harrison, one of Great Britain’s famous clockmakers, made his first longcase clock with a mechanism entirely made of wood. The longcase clock Harrison made in 1713 continues to be priced possession in the world of antique clocks. It survived time and is currently displaced at the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers’ Collection in Guildhall.
Harrison’s second clock, also one of the famous British antique clocks, can be found in the Science Museum. His third antique clock, in which the name “John Harrison Barrow” is inscribed, is at the Nostell Priory in Yorkshire.
One of Harrison’s antique clock collections, which is located in Brocklesby Park, North Lincolnshire, still operates until today. The said clock has new and original features, which he did not used in his earlier clocks such as the grasshopper escapement, to make advancement in timekeeping.
Harrison’s brother James was also skilled in the field. He was able to create three precision regulations, during which the grid-iron pendulum was developed. James’ regulators were considered as the most accurate clocks in the world. They are also important in seafarers for they are proven significant to the sea clocks. His third regulator can be found in the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers Collection while Regulator No. 1 is among the collections of the Time Museum. The regulated was however auctioned in 2004, four years after the Time Museum was closed.
Harrison is an expert when it comes to improving the performance of pendulum clocks. Grasshopper escape, which is almost frictionless, can attest to his genius.
It was 1730 that Harrison drafted his suggested marine clock for a large prize. He even went to London to seek for financial assistance where he showed his proposal to Edmond Halley, who eventually pointed him to George Graham, London’s leading clockmaker. It can be implied that Graham was impressed by Harrison’s genius for he aided him financially just to have his marine clock made.
When he presented his invention to the Board of Longitude, Harrison was granted £500 to further develop it. He took pains to pursue his work but at that time Britain was at war with Spain. While he waited for the war to end, Harrison was given another £500. At the end of his clock-making endeavors, Harrison was able to contribute to the world two of his greatest creations: the bimetallic strip and the caged roller bearing.
The significance of Harrison’s feat in making clocks should be viewed in the background of the Longitude Act passed during the reign of Queen Anne. The act was in response to the Merchants and Seamen petition that clamored for a means of determining longitude to an accuracy of half a degree of a circle. While many astronomers, most of whom are in the highest academic position, discussed the Act and worked to solve the problem, it was Harrison who made a breakthrough. Harrison did a thorough research despite his little formal education.