When did the British Admiralty adopt the broad arrow mark to identify their time pieces?

Was there an earlier mark?

Is there any way to identify 19th century english chronometers that may have been used on British military vessels?

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When did the British Admiralty adopt the broad arrow mark to identify their time pieces?

Was there an earlier mark?

Is there any way to identify 19th century english chronometers that may have been used on British military vessels?

well I´m surprised at that question...The net is full of answers and this also answers your question...
The Office of Ordnance was created by Henry VIII in 1544. It dates back to the position of Master of Ordnance, one of whom, Nicholas Merbury, was present at the Battle of Agincourt. The Office became the Board of Ordnance in 1597, its principal duties being to supply guns, ammunition, stores and equipment to the King's Navy. The headquarters and main arsenal of the Office were in the White Tower of the Tower of London. The broad arrow mark has been used over the years by the Office and Board to signify at first objects purchased from the monarch's money and later to indicate government property. With the demise of the Board in 1855, the War Department and today's Ministry of Defence continued to use the mark. The arrow also appears in the Ordnance Survey logo.

Early use of the broad arrow can be found on some objects recovered from the Tudor ship Mary Rose, which sank in 1545. Bronze sheaves for rigging blocks, spoked wheels for gun carriages, bowls and wooden tankards were found to bear this mark. The broad arrow frequently appeared on military boxes and equipment such as canteens, bayonets and rifles, as well as the British prison uniform from the 1870s, and even earlier, that of transportees in British penal colonies such as Australia. The broad arrow marks were also used by Commonwealth countries on their ordnance.

The origin and earliest use of the broad arrow symbol are unknown. It could be related to the actual arrow, longbows and bowmen being a key part of the English army in the Middle ages. Broad Arrow Tower, built by Henry III of England between 1238 and 1272, in the Tower of London is said to be named after the royal property mark. Invention of the mark is frequently attributed to Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, who served as Master-General of the Ordnance from 1693 to 1702, since the pheon appears in the arms of his family, but it is known to have been in use earlier than this. There is also an unsubstantiated claim that a document dated 1330, issued by Richard de la Pole, the King's Butler, for the purchase of wine, shows that in order to make sure that ownership could be readily established as King's property, he marked each item with an arrow from his own coat of arms.

Similarly to hallmarks, it is currently a criminal offence in the United Kingdom to reproduce the broad arrow without authority. Section 4 of the Public Stores Act 1875 makes it illegal to use the "broad arrow" on any goods without permission.

To be found here;
Broad arrow

Thanks! I was just on a skype call with Tom Brunton and he suggested that you would be a person to ask about the possible existance of a record or list of English Chronometers that were issued to British navel vessels. He could not recall the registry name, but suggested that you might be of assistance.

As you may have guessed from my initial question, I have only recenly come into the world of chronometers and have a lot to absorb, especially when it comes to researching in the vernacular.

thanks again for the info!

Mason

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Chronometers

Hi mason,
I don´t think anyone has an archive of English Chronometers issued, I know of the janus archive belonging to the university of cambridge, but it is so big and detailed that I ashamedly must confess, havent gone through it thoroughly. It may be something for you?...
Chronometers...scroll down to
Time Measuring Instruments
Admiralty
Royal Navy

Regards

Well, what a surprise, apparantly there is a register...
Description:

The papers records were transferred from the Hydrographic Department in 1972 by arrangement with the Ministry of Defence. They are located in the Astronomy Section in the Old Royal Observatory. They consist of sixty-three volumes of registers, digest books, indexes, trial records and correspondence, 1821 to 1950. Issues and receipts of chronometers are registered in twenty-eight volumes, 1821 to 1936, and on a series of record cards, 1936 to 1950. Digests of chronometer repairs comprise nine volumes, 1836 to 1933; indexes to these registers and digests are contained in twelve volumes, 1820 to 1939. Other subjects include records of observations of standard mean solar clocks, 1951 to 1961 (2 vols). Single volumes include a list of contracts, ca.1917 to 1918; a list of chronometers, ca.1920; a departmental address book, ca.1913 to 1922; a record of instruments which were not government property (including loans), 1940 to 1947; valuations and reports on second-hand instruments, 1943 to 1944. Single volumes of internal reference and communication sheets (with some external correspondence) relate to returned instruments, 1938; to those removed from departmental books, 1930 to 1939; to chronometers issued on loan, 1930 to 1937; to sales of instruments, 1932 to 1936; to those returned from service, 1937 to 1938; and to chronometers formerly belonging to Royal yachts, 1930 to 1935

all to be had here; Hydrographic Department, Chronometer Records..

Werner,

Thanks for the links, sure would like to get my eyes on some of these documents, might help me in my researching the history of the chronometers that i hold from that period (1820 - 1900 or so).

It is a pure shame that there is such a lack of information available on these fine pieces of machinery. Seems like everyone is into pocket watches and the like, while there are very few marine chronometer nuts like myself.....

Thanks Werner. I'm retired now, so I can spend some time browsing Janus and the Hydrographic Department records.

Thanks again,

Mason

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while there are very few marine chronometer nuts like myself.

Well now we are two...