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SLOOP COMPASS FROM H.M.T. FRANCONIA

Dry compass in original chest with gimballed suspension, hailing from one of the life boats of the H.M.T. Franconia (H.M.T. His Majesty’s Transport).
Cunard White Star S.S. Franconia was built in 1911 by the Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson shipyard in Newcastle.
The Franconia was a beautifully lined passenger ship with a classic right bow and two elegant chimney’s.
The ship was used by the Cunard Line for the Liverpool-New York-Boston line.
On the 15th of February 1915 the ship was claimed by the British government for use in the transport of Canadian troops.
She was sailing to Salonika with D.S. Miller at the helm, when she was hit by a torpedo.
On October 4th 1916 the ship was sunk at 195 miles north east of Malta by the German submarine U47 (the little boat type UC – photo 7).
Twelve people lost their lives while 302 were rescued.
After the rescue of the castaways the compass was rendered safe by a rescue worker.
The compass chart is in a very nice and smooth condition.
The compass works as it should, the chest was made from oak wood.
Full history (in English) is included.
Dimensions of the chest:
Length 22.5 cm. (9 inches)
Width 22.5 cm. (9 inches)
Height 15 cm. (6 inches)
Diameter chart 14 cm. (5.5 inches)

ITEM : 50
AVAILABLE

A MARINER’S TRAVERSE BOARD CA 17TH CENTURY

A navigation aid and a reminder for direction and speed.
The traverse board was widely used in Scandinavian countries but was also known in Holland, Germany, Italy and France.
They were used until the 19th century. In France they were called ‘Renard’ (fox), with reference to the naïve cunning of the tool.
The upper part is the compass rose with the 32 wind directions.
In each of the 32 wind directions are 8 holes, each hole represents a half hour.
The time measurement on board was eight times a half hour.
Each half hour when the hourglass was turned, the officer on guard stuck a pin in the corresponding hole,
and in this way transferred the compass direction to the traverse board.
When the direction was changed the next pin went in the adjoining row.
In the lower table the speed - in knots- was captured using the log book.
The instrument itself was made from oak wood and exists in a fully original state and has never been restored. It’s still very serviceable.
All pins are made from bone, irregularly shaped and handmade.
On the board the remains can be seen of white and black paint.
The hourglass pictured is from France, similar hourglasses were used on board for time representation.
Photo 6: a sailor looks at the compass and transfers the direction to the traverse board.
Length 29 cm. (11.5 inches)
Width 20 cm. (8 inches)
Thickness 2.5 cm. (1 inch)

History:
The traverse board was washed ashore on the beach of Burham Overy Staithe, Norfolk.
Presumably it came out of a shipwreck and was transported with the tide.
In 1959 the then owner, one Admiral Thursfield, has entered into correspondence about this particular instrument with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
The National Maritime Museum has confirmed that it is an original traverse board, probably originating from a Scandinavian ship.
Style and materials used point to an early instrument from the 17th or 18th century.

ITEM : 51
AVAILABLE

DRY COMPASS Mc. GREGOR GLASGOW

Dry compass in original chest with gimballed suspension.
Made by Duncan McGregor, manufacturer of maritime instruments, chronometers and maps.
McGregor Senior began the shop in Glasgow in 1844; later more shops were opened in Liverpool and London.
The compass dates from 1886 and has a very beautiful compass chart.
The compass is very smooth and has been nicely preserved; it is in good working order.
Height chest: 20 cm. (8 inches)
Width: 20 cm. (8 inches)
Diameter map: 13 cm. (5 inches)

ITEM : 54
AVAILABLE

PORTABLE BINNACLE BOAT COMPASS IN PYRAMID MODEL

A portable boat compass designed to take easy to smaller vessels.
Pyramid model liquid compass in housing of wood and copper with a facet polished glass window on the front.
Length 23 cm (9 inches)
Width 23 cm (9 inches)
Height 34 cm (13.5 inches)
Origin United Kingdom.
Age ca 80 years.

* Information about the prisoner of war Spinning Jenny; category miniature figures.

ITEM : 42
AVAILABLE

SINGER PATENTED DRY COMPASS 1861

19th century dry compass in original case with sliding lid.
The compass has a patented compass chart and is signed at the north-south axis.
Samuel Berry Singer was a British navy captain who found it difficult to read the compass chart in the dark.
Often no light from oil lamps or candles could be used, because at sea this would betray your position to the enemy.
Singer’s idea was to divide the compass chart in two halves, one part back and one part white.
The material from which the chart was made too was innovative.
For this end Singer used mother of pearl, because it is fluorescent and lights up in the dark.
On the Singer compass chart the north is indicated by a monogram by Vega: the harp star, the brightest star in the northern sky.
The patent was filed in 1861.
Case measurements:
Height: 9 cm (3,5 inches)
Width: 16,5 cm (6,5 inches)
Compass diameter: 10 cm (4 inches)

* Information about the ships tiller; category nautical miscellaneous antiques.
 
ITEM : 23
AVAILABLE   

PATENTED SHIP’S COMPASS CA 1900

Fascinating liquid compass in brass casing complete with compensating spheres.
The compass chart comes with an enlarging prism.
The compass has several patents:
Commander Louis W.P. Chetwynds nr.25965 ;
Chetwynd & Kelvin & J.White nr.18509;
Ministry of Defense nr.184 & 185.
Pretty and unimpaired instrument with a warm patina.
No air bubbles or leakage, in perfect working order.
Signed Kelvin Bottomley & Baird-Glasgow.
Heigth 30 cm. (12 inches)
Width 32 cm. (12,5 inches)   

Captain Chetwynd was an important member of the British Admiralty at the start of the 20th century.
In total he patented six different compass systems in the 1906 – 1912 period.

ITEM : 6
AVAILABLE 

ENGLISH DRY COMPASS IN CHEST 19TH CENTURY

English dry compass, gimballed suspension in wooden chest with swallow tail connection.
The compass rose is very pretty and above all very smooth.
It is made from paper with English abbreviations of the wind directions.
The compass is in fine working order.
Dimensions of the chest:
Length 23 cm (9 inches)
Width 23 cm (9 inches)
Diameter of the glass 16,5 cm. (6.5 inches)

ITEM : 39
AVAILABLE