George Graham (clockmaker)
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George Graham (1674?-1751) was an English clockmaker and inventor and a member of the Royal Society. A Friend (Quaker) like his mentor Thomas Tompion, Graham left Cumberland in 1688 for London to work with Tompion.
He was partner to the influential English clockmaker Thomas Tompion during the last few years of Tompion's life. Graham is credited with inventing several design improvements to the pendulum clock, inventing the mercury pendulum and also the orrery. However his greatest innovation was the invention of the Graham or dead beat escapement around 1715. 1722 he was appointed the master of the Clockmakers Company [1].
He was buried in the same tomb as his friend and mentor Tompion in Westminster Abbey.[2]
Between 1730 and 1738, Graham had as an apprentice Thomas Mudge who went on to be an eminent watchmaker in his own right, and invented the lever escapement, an important development for pocket watches.[3]
[edit] Examples of his work
- a 28 day duration longcase regulator with dead beat escapement c. 1745 Moyse's Hall MuseumBury St Edmunds UK
[edit] References
- ^ Watch-Wiki: George Graham
- ^ Britten, Frederick J. (1894). Former Clock and Watchmakers and their Work. London: E. & F.N. Spon., p.89-97
- ^ Harold Bagust, “The Greater Genius?”, 2006, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 0711031754 (page 15)
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