Cite record | Embed record | Print | | Report
COMPASS
Unique ID: SWYOR-6FA956
Object type certainty: Certain
A copper alloy compass face dating from the Post Medieval or Modern period. It is a circular sheet of copper alloy, 2mm thick with the upper face inscribed with a cross of tapering arms marking the four compass points, and similar arms in the angles marking NW, SW, NE and SE. The four main compass points are decorated with foliage. The intermediate arms have half of the point shaded to give a three dimensional appearance. The degrees are marked in 10s starting at zero at North and South, and increasing in tens in both directions from these points.
There are two rivet holes through the edge of the plate at each of the four main points, and three nearer the centre of the plate. A central hole is smaller and would have been where the needle fitted. The outer holes are countersunk on the reverse. They probably were for attaching a frame onto the front of the plate. The plate is now bend and badly scratched.
An interesting feature is that the compass is reversed, so East is to the left of North, not the right. Apparently, this is not uncommon, allowing the user of the compass to read from it which direction they are facing. "Another way to illustrate [this] is to hold the compass so that you are facing due north. Start turning to your right. As you are turning right, you are facing more towards the east. Because the needle keeps pointing north, the E on the left side of the compass card moves closer to the needle. You can now read directly off the compass card that you are facing easterly." http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090506181235AAi9pqS
The compass face is inscribed "W&S Jones Holborn" on either side of the North point, along the West and East points.
W&S (William & Samuel) Jones was a London optical and scientific instrument maker situated at Holborn from about 1792-1860. Several of their instruments are held in the Scientific Instrument Collection of the The Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
References:
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jones_%28optician%29
Inscription: W&S Jones Holborn
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MODERN
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Period to: MODERN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Date from: Circa AD 1792
Date to: Circa AD 1860
Dimensions and weight
Thickness: 2 mm
Weight: 153.5 g
Diameter: 114.5 mm
Quantity: 1
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Manufacture method: Cast [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Completeness: Incomplete [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Spatial data
Region: Yorkshire And The Humber
County: South Yorkshire
District: Barnsley
Parish: Brierley
Restricted 4 Figure grid reference: SE4010
The map has been degraded and provides an approximate location with a degree of random obfuscation.
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
Method of discovery: Metal detector
[scope notes]
General landuse: Cultivated land [scope notes]
Personal details
Found by: This information is restricted for your login.
Recorded by: Ms Mary Blevins
- [
view all attributed records]
Identified by: Ms Mary Blevins - [view all attributed records]
Secondary identifier: Ms Amy Downes - [view all attributed records]
Other reference numbers
Other reference: PAS form number 1582
References cited
No references cited so far.
QR barcode
If you have a mobile phone equipped with QR recognition software, you can go directly to the webpage that this record resides at. Every record has an individual one of these.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us. | Be the first to comment
Comment on this artefact's record
Data entered via this form is checked against the akismet service to recognise spam.
Audit data
Created:
Thursday 13th October 2011
Updated: Tuesday 18th October 2011
Social Bookmarking: 
