Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 1154342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,649 pages of information and 247,065 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.

John Wilson Gillie

From Graces Guide

1864 Born in North Shields son of John Gillie, Board of Trade Navigation examiner

1880 Apprenticed for four years to J. J. Wilson and Sons, Nautical Instrument Makers of Sunderland.

Following the apprenticeship he spent six months to a year as an "improver" in Glasgow.

1885 John Wilson Gillie founded Wilson and Gillie in North Shields as Admiralty chart agents and magnetic compass and nautical instrument makers.

1881 John Wilson Gillie 17, compass maker, lived in South Shields with his parents[1]

1891 John Wilson Gillie 27, compass adjuster, lived in South Shields with his parents[2]

1895 Patent on "An Improved Ring Compass Card" followed by more than 20 others by 1917

1900 In sole charge of Wilson and Gillie

1901 Nautical instrument maker, compass adjuster, chart seller and stationer, employer, lived in South Shields with Nora Gillie 34, Jean Gillie 7 months[3]

1906 Patent on "improvements in compass course correctors and similar instruments"

1911 Nautical instrument maker lived in South Shields with Nora Gillie 44, May Gillie 6, John Calder Gillie 4, Helen Gillie 3[4] 1921 of The New Quay, South Shields, patent on "Improvements in sounding machines"

1921 With Francis Herbert Alexander, patent on "Improvements in or relating to clinometers and like instruments" followed by 5 more patents by the 2 of them.

1924 Patent on "Improvements in gauges for indicating a ship's draft " followed by another 8 patents

1932/3 Patents by John Wilson Gillie and John Calder Gillie of The New Quay, South Shields, on "Improvements in mariners' compasses".

1934 Patent on "Improvements in gimbals and the suspension of nautical instruments" followed by another 10 in his name over the next 15 years

1939 Nautical Instrument Manufacturer, Admiralty Chart agent, etc living in Long Benton with Nora Gillie, Helen Gillie, George T Gillie, ship owner manager[5]

1940 Patent by John Wilson Gillie and John Calder Gillie on "Improvement in binnacle top for taking bearings"

1954 Died in Matlock[6]

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. 1881 census
  2. 1881 census
  3. 1901 census
  4. 1911 census
  5. 1939 register
  6. National probate calendar
  • [1] Antique Atlas