Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,859 pages of information and 247,161 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

James Ritchie and Son (Clockmakers)

From Graces Guide

of Edinburgh, maker and repairer of mechanical clocks, jeweller, silversmith.

1809 Business established

Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal, sought the help of James Ritchie to organise the Time Ball and the One o' Clock Gun in Edinburgh; Ritchie also helped him with precision engineering of various instruments.

1861 Took charge of the Time Gun[1]

1864 Patent to Frederick James Ritchie, of Edinburgh, in the county of Midlothian, North Britain, Clock and Watch Maker, in respect of the invention of "improvements in the application of magneto-electricity to the propelling and controlling of sympathetic clocks."[2]

1872 Patent to Frederick James Ritchie, of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, Watch and Clock Maker, in respect of the invention of "improvements in sympathetic clocks."[3]

1878 Patent to Frederick James Ritchie, of Edinburgh, in the county of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Watch and Clock Maker, in respect of the invention of "improvements in controlling time keepers by electricity and in apparatus therefor."[4]

1879 Dissolution of the copartnership between Andrew Ritchie and Frederick James Ritchie as Watch and Clock Makers at 25 Leith Street, Edinburgh, under the Firm of JAMES RITCHIE & SON, on 1st January current, 1879, when Andrew Ritchie retired from the Firm; the Business was carried on by Frederick James Ritchie[5]

1903 Constructed the floral clock in Princes Street for the first time[6]


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. Southern Reporter 14 December 1933
  2. London Gazette 16 Feb 1864
  3. London Gazette 3 September 1872
  4. London Gazette 28 May 1878
  5. Edinburgh Gazette 17 Jan 1879
  6. The Times Mar. 6, 2003
  • [1] Company website