Accession Record : Extract from Annual Report for 1932
NINTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1932 OF THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE LEWIS EVANS COLLECTION
Under 'Accessions'
'The Thompson Collections [sic] of Surveying Instruments were purchased from Mrs. Alkin, of Witherby, by the Friends of the Old Ashmolean and presented by them to the Lewis Evans Collection. They constitute the most important set of historic surveying instruments that has been received since the arrival of the Orrery Collection of Surveying Instruments, which is about half a century earlier. But whereas Charles Boyle, the 4th Lord Orrery, was a wealthy amateur and lover of instruments, Mr. John Thompson and his sons Ralph and Samuel were trained professional surveyors in whose family the instruments have remained until last year. Apart from their intrinsic merit, they provide a unique illustration of the methods and instrumental outfit of a practical surveyor of 150 years ago. John Thompson, of Witherby, Co. Leicester, was born 1 March 1722, and died on 25 February 1783 (see Nature, 18 February 1933).
Surveyor's Level, with 13-inch telescope and a 5-inch level with a micrometer screw adjustment at the side, inscribed "Made by Tho. Wright, Instrument maker to His Royal Highness the Prince, 1724".
Surveyor's Level - not signed - with 91/4inch telescope on a semicircle of 33/16-inch radius, probably also by T. Wright.
16-inch Circumferentor (no stand) graduated to 1/3 degrees in one quadrant only, and signed "J. Search, London".
183/4-inch Plane Table and Tripod, inscribed "Made by G. Adams in Fleet St. London. Inst: Makr: to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales". The magnetic compass with card by the same maker is of figure 8 shape and is only graduated for 45° on each side of the North-South line. It is the only example known to us of a plane table built to Thompson's design and is the finest plane table which we have seen, not only for its consummate workmanship, but because of a special tilting arrangement on the head, by means of which the table can be fixed in a vertical plane, or at any angle with the horizontal, and also by reason of the scales, marginal sights, and adjustable rules, which can be raised by adjusting screws above the surface of the board, or be sunk flush with it.
It is accompanied by a Drawing Board, 223/4 inches x 20 3/4 inches, with carefully engraved marginal scales, and adjustable tee-square.
29-inch Pantograph, in box, by G. Adams.
Two Gunter's Chains.
Border for Plane Table, 15 inches x 12 inches (c.1700).'
Other narratives:
Related Objects:
- Inventory No. 85567, "Surveyor's Altitude Semicircle, English, c. 1800" [1932-31?]
- Inventory No. 43707, "Drainage Level, by Thomas Wright, London, 1724" [1932-30], Wright, Thomas
- Inventory No. 63619, "Surveyor's Cross and ?Simple Theodolite, by James Search, London, c. 1770-80" [1932-32], Search, James
- Inventory No. 95571, "Gunter Chain, ?19th Century" [1932]
- Inventory No. 32221, "Pantograph, by George Adams, London, Mid-18th Century" [1932-35?], Adams, George
- Inventory No. 49087, "Surveyor's Drawing Table, perhaps by George Adams, English, 18th Century" [1932-34], Adams, George Senior
- Inventory No. 36257, "Folding Plane Table Frame, English, 18th Century" [1932-38?]