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Records of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, including registers of freedom admissions 1699-1873; apprentice bindings 1694-1860; charters; ordinances; grant of arms; Court minute books; financial accounts and rent ledger.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.

Records of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers. The records include charters 1656 and 1664, ordinances 1659 and 1664, court minutes 1714-2006, registers of freedom admissions 1664-1949, and of apprentice bindings 1664-1858.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.

Records of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, 1503 - 1992, including copies of charters and bye-laws; Court and committee minute books; financial accounts; lists of liverymen; registers of freemen; registers of freedom admissions; registers of apprentice bindings; papers relating to duties and taxes on clocks and watches; papers relating to patents, hallmarks and foreign imports; letter books; Clerk's papers and papers relating to charities. Please note there is no public access to Ms 2710/17-20, Ms 20384 or Ms 22353 without permission from the Company.

The collection includes a number of papers of John Harrison (1693-1776), describing his construction of longitude timekeepers and watches. These papers were catalogued at various dates from 1918 by members of Guildhall Library staff. The records include description, with plans, by John Harrison, of his first longitude timekeeper or"sea clock"; papers relating to the horological inventions of John Harrison, collected by Alexander Cumming (ca. 1732-1814), clockmaker, by virtue of his appointment by Act of Parliament to adjudicate on Harrison's explanation of the mechanisms of his longitude time keeper "H 4"; journal, 1761-6, relating to the testing of John Harrison's chronometer for the determining of longitude at sea in accordance with a statute of 12 Queen Anne, chapt. 15, by Walter Williams; essays, notes and calculations by John Harrison, and his son William Harrison; and letters mainly from William Harrison, statements, cases etc relating to the tests at sea of John Harrison's longitude watches and his efforts to win an award from the Board of Longitude. PLEASE NOTE: Permission is required from the Company for photocopies or photography of Harrison material (whether for private study or for publication). All requests for reproductions for the purposes of publication should also be referred to the Company. More information is available from staff.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.

Records of the Worshipful Company of Barbers, 1550-1917. The original records (except MS24584) have been returned to the custody of the Clerk at Barber Surgeon's Hall. However, microfilm copies of the following records are available: Court minute books; quarterage books; registers of freedom admissions; registers of apprentice bindings; financial accounts; livery lists, papers relating to property and papers relating to charitable giving. MS 24584 is a draft petition to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen concerning riots which had prevented the Company removing the bodies of four felons for anatomical practice.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.

Records of William James Barnsdale and Son, watch and clockmakers, comprising order and repair books and accounts, as well as a pedigree of the family from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

Papers of Amory Hooper Waite, 1960-1984, chiefly comprising biographical material including details of Waite created for the occasion of Waite becoming a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, Sep 1976; press release on Waite receiving triple honours, 1 May 1980 and material provided by Waite for his own obituary including an autobiography, 1 Dec 1983; material from the 50th anniversary of the Byrd rescue mission, 1984; papers and history relating to radio ice depth measurements; copy of a paper by Noel Stone, entitled 'The Airborne Survey of Ice Caps at Radio Frequencies', Aug 1960 and copies of articles including 'An Empirical Determination of the Relative Dielectric Constant of the Greenland Ice Cap', by D C Pearce and J W Williams, in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 72, 15 Nov 1967; 'Airborne Radar Sounding of the Greenland Ice Cap: Flight 1', by A H Zanella, D C Pearce and J W Williams, in the Geographical Society of America Bulletin, Vol. 79, Nov 1968 and article on Waite, Jun 1984.

Records of clockmakers Ainsworth Thwaites and Company, later Thwaites and Reed Limited. The records comprise daybooks 1780-1955; ledgers, including workmen's time and materials accounts, 1788-1958; estimate and order books 1802-1945; maintenance and repair books 1822-47 and 1874-80; spare parts books 1842-1912; stock books 1814-55 and 1904-54; copy invoice books 1917-20; out-letter book 1919-20; cash books and journals 1812-1951; bank books 1886-1954; and wages books 1828-1931.

Access to Mss 6788/1-6, 6789 and 6791/1-4 is subject to special conditions: for further information ask a member of staff.

Job order books of Edwin Robert Sills, watch and chronometer finisher.

Notes, taken while a Student at Edinburgh University, of lectures by John Rutherford, William Cullen, John Gregory and Alexander Monro [1733-1817]. Vol. I Gregory (John). Clinical lectures. 1773 (pp 1-204). Cullen (William). Clinical lectures (pp 205-935). Vol. II Monro (A.). Lectures anatomical and physiological (pp 1-253). Operations in surgery (pp 254-365). On the first preliminary leaf, containing notes of a case, is the date 1775. Vol. III Cullen (W.). Part of a course on the Institutes of Medicine (275 pp). Vol. IV Rutherford (J.). Clinical lectures (pp 1-316). Monro (A.). Treatise on wounds in general (pp. 317-386). A treatise on bandages (pp. 368-430). This last volume is in a smaller quarto. It is dated 1752 on p 1, but this may be the date when the lectures were first given. The script is apparently the same as that of the preceding volumes.

Records of Parkinson and Frodsham, clock and watch makers, comprising a watch manufacturing book 1872-1925; a register of clocks and watches supplied to retailers 1866-1914 and a record of retail sales 1911-4; clock and watch repair books 1937-45; customer accounts 1923-40 and 1932-45 and lists of customers and manufacturers in the clock and watch trade [1900-1941].

Typescript unpublished memoir of Squadron Leader Harry 'Wacker' Pain, 1937-1978, including descriptions of: training as an Aircraft Apprentice, RAF Halton, 1937; wireless operator training in Wallace and Wapiti biplanes; airborne wireless operator training, RAF Driffield, 1939; working for Special Duties Flight, Coastal Command, as a gunner in long range Sunderland flying boats, 1939-1942, including survivor searches after submarine attacks, escorting convoys, account of destruction of flying boats Cabot and Caribou, Bodo, Norway, Apr 1940, training messenger pigeons, serious injury in crash and subsequent reposting as Signals Instructor, 1942, and retraining as an Air Traffic Control Officer, 1943. Also anecdotes from various postings including Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, 1944-1946; opening a new Area Control Centre in Gibraltar, 1946; RAF Mingaladon, Burma, 1947, and RAF Negombo, Ceylon, 1948; Area Control Centre, RAF Watnall, UK, 1949; RAF Gutersloh, Germany, 1954-1957; Air Traffic Controller at RAF Coningsby, 1957-1959; assisting with the introduction of radar guided systems and the formation of Border Radar in RAF Bishops Court, County Down, Northern Ireland, 1959-1962 and RAF Boulmer, Alnwick, 1962-1964; RAF Paya Lebar, Singapore, 1964-1967; as controller, Northern Radar, RAF Lindholme, 1967-1970; RAF Patrington, Withernsea, 1970-1971; Senior Operations Officer, Border Radar, RAF Boulmer, 1971-1973.

Papers of Commander W E May. The collection includes research notes articles and pamphlets on many subjects including compasses, navigation, uniform, naval brigades etc. Of interest are his service certificates and career record between 1912-1953, including his training at Dartmouth and Osborne colleges (MAA/77).

Louisa Martindale collection, 1872-1964. The collection consists of Section A: a little personal correspondence, papers, articles, speeches and lectures by Louisa Martindale, and some personal material including notes on the glaucoma which eventually blinded her, 1872-1960; and Section B: papers concerning the Medical Women's International Association (founded 1919) of which Miss Martindale was President from 1937 to 1947. As well as her own correspondence in this capacity, 1937-1946, there is one file of the correspondence of Mme Montreuil-Strauss, Secretary of the Medical Women's International Association at his period. (Louisa Martindale destroyed the vast bulk of her case records at the time of her retirement from practice around 1950, those remaining were destroyed by her executors after her death).

Commonplace books of extracts and notes from works published mainly during the last quarter of the 17th century and early 18th century, relating to science, medicine and mathematics. Written mainly in Latin or Italian, but with some entries in French. Author's holograph MSS. Illustrated by numerous folding and other pen-drawn diagrams and figures, and a few wash-drawings. The numeration of the volumes has been added.

Vol. I In universam scientiam mechanicam institutiones (80 ll. 3 folding pen-and-wash drawings). II Optica. Catoptrica. Dioptrica (56 ll. 4 folding pen-drawings). III Extracts and notes mainly in Latin, but a few in French on medical, scientific, mathematical and philosophical works, mostly published between c 1685 and 1700: with notices of others on Church history and doctrine, Jansenists, etc. There is a long entry towards the end of the volume on the 'Medicina mentis' by Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhausen [1651-1708], (352 ll. 1 folding wash-drawing, 8 folding pen-drawings, wash-and pen-drawing in the text). IV A similar collection, but with a preponderance of entries in French, included in which is a long article under the title: 'La vie de demoiselle Antoinette Bourignon [1616-1680], écrite par elle-même [etc.]' Amsterdam. 1683. The date 1705 is found on the verso of the last leaf (312 ll., 5 folding pen-drawings, and a few marginal pen-drawn figures, etc.) V Notes and extracts on geometry, mechanics, optics, physics, etc. on Cartesian principles: in Italian and Latin. At the end is a long entry entitled: 'Fisica generale sopra il lume, ed i colori per il P. Mallebranche (i.e. Nicolas de Malebranche [1638-1715]) dall'Istoria dell'Accademia delle Scienze, 1699' (224 ll. 6 folding pen-drawings). VI Netwon (Sir I.). Optica: in Latin (160 ll. 11 folding pen-drawings and marginal pen-drawn figures, etc.). VII Extracts from Newton's works on astronomy: conics, mechanics, physics, etc.: in Latin (246 ll., 10 folding pen-drawn figures, etc.). VIII Extracts on astronomy, geography, geometry, and chronology: in Latin. Written in 1713 'in hoc anno'. An added note on the first page contains the date 1714 (208 ll. 8 folding pen-drawn figures, and marginal figures, 1 folding Table). IX Sanctorius (S.). Ex commentariis in Avicennam et in Aphoirismos Hippocratis (256 ll.). A note on 'Colica' in Aphorism XXV is dated 1716. X Extracts and notes from 17th cent. medical works, notes of cases, medical receipts, etc.: in Latin (196 ll.). Illustrated with a full-page pen-drawing of a male head. Against this Marmi has written: 'Exhibeo schema communicatum mihi ab excellentissimo D[octore] Schustonio [?] Practico Esslingense ... Elegantissime Burrhus eques Mediolani (i.e. Giuseppe Francesco Borri [1627-1695]) apud Tackium (Johann Tackius [1617-1675]) Phasis p. 160 uti Macrocosmi Compendium homo existimatur, ita homo sive humanus mundus in se quoque habet proprium compendium in vultu et imago nostri corporis est facies'. The illustration shows the facial nerves supposed to correspond with those of other parts of the body. XI A similar volume, mainly in Latin, but with some entries in Italian (318 ll.). There are long extracts and notes on the works of Galen and Hippocrates. A marginal note on the 6th leaf is dated Naples 1714: another entry on 'Aqua Tofana' is dated 1715 apparently at Naples.

Pasted down as end-papers at the beginning of Vol. IV is a small folio sheet containing an engraving of 'Triangulus australis' above a decorated wreath, which includes a small meallion-portrait of Werner XVII Comes de Hapsburgo. It is numbered 132, and is apparently extracted from an unidentified volume of engravings. The identification of the author of these MSS. is based on two entries. The first is in Vol. III is a marginal note on the verso of the 12th leaf of the entry of the 'Medicina mentis' of Tschirnhausen noted above. It begins: 'Mihi Jos. Herm. M[armi]. The expansion of 'Herm' into an Italian Christian name seems doubtful, but it could be 'Hermannus' or 'Herminius' or even 'Hermes' or 'Hermete'. The second entry is however decisive. It is found also in a marginal note on the eating of cucumbers in the summer, in connexion with the onset of bile after drinking in hot weather as observed by Galen. This is definitely signed 'I. H. Marmi'. Produced in Naples?

Marine chronometer rating book kept by C Lupton, watchmaker.

Business archives of Victor Kullberg, watch and chronometer maker, comprising: operational and financial records, 1857-1947 (Ms 14537-42, 14546-54), and correspondence 1871-1930 (Ms 14543-4).

Legal papers relating to this partnership and dispute between partners over credit for inventing plastic optical lens, 1935-1938, 1944.

The records of Joseph Preston and Sons, watch, clock and chronometer movement makers, comprise two volumes containing descriptions of parts c 1890-5 and 1892-1914 (Mss 14558, 14560), a cash book 1893-1904 (Ms 14545) and a bank pass book 1907-12 (Ms 14559).

Papers of Cedric Jagger, historian of horology, comprising research notes for Jagger's publication on Paul Philip Barraud; and correspondence relating to clocks and watches to and from Cedric Jagger, arranged alphabetically by correspondent (makers, academics and experts, collectors, dealers, writers and booksellers).

Records of Charles Hobson, clock restorer, comprising workshop notes and diagrams (some photocopies) and photographs of Hobson in his workshop.

Lecture notes, examination questions and extracts from books relating to watchmaking, compiled by Otto Heinrich.

Day book of clock and watch maker Benjamin Gray.

Papers of Rupert Thomas Gould, consisting of eight working notebooks containing details kept by Gould on the stripping, cleaning, re-assembling and testing of the four Harrison Timekeepers, 1923-39; three monographs (bound together) relating to the No.1 timekeeper; typescript detailed account on the No.2 timekeeper; and a printed lecture delivered to the British Horological Institute in 1931 on the No.3 timekeeper. There are also various files of correspondence relating to his presentation of notebooks and papers to the Royal Observatory, 1945-46.

Records of George Jesse Dawson and his son Percy George Dawson, antique clock case makers and restorers. The records comprise job books and accounts.

Records of E Dent and Company Limited, clock and watch makers. The archives in this collection are the surviving business records, covering mainly the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They are primarily the records of the Strand and Royal Exchange shops - only Ms 18026 and 23823-4 relating to M. F. Dent, 1856-1920, appear to have survived.

They are arranged as follows:
Ownership of company - shares, bonds (Mss 18005-7);
Administration - ledger, balance sheets and accounts, letter books; company management (Mss18008-15);
Business -
(i) stock books and manufacturing books (Mss 18016-26);
(ii) letters patent, specifications and related papers (Mss 18027-40);
(iii) Watch trial certificates, trade mark certificates (Mss 18041-2);
(iv) Drawings of watches, clocks, parts etc. (Mss 18043-52);
(v) Photographs of watches, clocks, parts etc. (Mss 18053-4);
Leases and agreements relating to premises (Mss 18055-64);
Miscellaneous mainly printed (Mss 18065-76);
Records of M. F. Dent (Mss 23823-4).

These records of the Dollond family, optical instrument makers, comprise family and estate papers and business records.

The archive of George Daniels documents his major contribution to horology and include his working papers and drawings, research notes and images for his published books, correspondence photographs and audio-visual material. The records are invaluable to researchers interested in Daniels' own work but also in historical watch and clock makers and tracing of watches, chronometers and clocks.

The earliest document is a volume of Daniels' lecture notes (LMA/4636/A/01/01/001) taken whilst studying at Evening courses at Northampton Polytechnic, St John Street, Islington in 1951-1952 (now City University London). In addition the archive contains: correspondence files, horological exhibition catalogues and papers (series reference LMA/4636/A/04); manuscript and printed technical drawings, calculations and sketches showing the development of the co-axial escapement with Omega and ETA of Switzerland with related patents (series references LMA/4636/A/03 and 04); photographs of Daniels' own watches (series reference LMA/4636/A/05); and Daniels' ledgers containing notes, diagrams and costings on his restoration work, historical watches and his own watches (series reference LMA/4636/A/08).

There are also Daniels' author files with draft manuscripts and research notes for his published books on watch and clockmaking, with photographs of watches used as images and copy business records of Breguet of Paris, France (series reference LMA/4636/B/01); photographs of historical watches and clocks (series references LMA/4636/B/03 and 04), events and studio portraits of Daniels (LMA/4636/D/03); his papers, photographs and video relating to Worshipful Company of Clockmakers (series reference LMA/4636/C); certificates awarded to Daniels (series reference LMA/4636/D/01); collected articles on his life's works and achievements series reference LMA/4636/D/02).

There are also films and video cassettes (series references LMA/4636/D/04 and 05) including talks given by Daniels with his feature in 'Aquarius' produced by London Weekend Television (1976). The archive also includes records of George Daniels Educational Trust (LMA/4636/E), namely Chairman's files on sales and bequests of Daniels' horological collection.

Records of Daniel Desbois and Sons, watch and clockmakers, comprising a series of ledgers and a series of day books.

Records of J P Crowley comprising drawings of and notes on sundials in churches and churchyards in North Devon, 1952-62, and in Cornwall, 1957-64.

'Stock books' of an unidentified clock and watch maker, recording manufacturing costs, retail prices and sales of individual clocks, watches and chains; also accounts book recording the costs of components.

Records of Charles Frodsham and Company, chronometer, clock and watch makers. The records comprise minutes of the board of directors 1893-1939 and annual general meetings 1894-1939 (Ms 19904); a ledger 1939-55 (Ms 19905), and watch manufacturing books 1876-1910 and 1895-7 (Ms 19906-7).

These papers of Francis and George Bent Buckley comprise antiquarian notes compiled by them from 1930 to 1938, chiefly relating to watches and 17th and 18th century London watchmakers.

The records comprise: list of lost watches of London watchmakers, c 1930 (Ms 02921); list of references to 18th-century newspaper advertisements relating to watchmakers, clockmakers and allied trades, c 1934 (Ms 03338); list of British clockmakers working outside London, 1937 (Ms 03355); and alphabetical list of glass sellers, china-men and "potters", 1938 (Ms 03384).

Records of the Antiquarian section of the British Horological Institute, including minutes and papers.

Records of Birch and Gaydon Limited, comprising watch books and job books, ledgers, stock books, repair and sales books, and other financial records, as well as some promotional material.

RESTRICTED ACCESS: PERMISSION NEEDED FROM THE SOCIETY.

Records of the Antiquarian Horological Society, comprising: AGM notices, 1966-date (Ms 20510); minutes, 1950-70 (Ms 20511, 20512-13, 20575); lists of members, 1957-67 (Ms 20511A); publicity material, 1954-ca. 1974 (Ms 20514-15); Benjamin Gray's daybook, 1704-26 (Ms 23726); Robert Gardner's commonplace book, ca. 1887 (Ms 29842); and miscellaneous papers, ca. 1915-89 (Ms 29186-7A, 29287, 29292, 30794-4A).

Ms 20514 is a series of printed pamphlets recording the history of the Society in a summary form, 1955-ca. 1974.

They were catalogued at various dates from 1983 by members of Guildhall Library staff. Access to records should be sought from the Society (contact details may be obtained from the enquiry desk).