John Barton (engineer)

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Personal information
Sir John Barton

Name	Sir John Barton
Birth date	1771-08-05
Birth place	Plymouth, England
Date of death	August 25, 1834 (aged 63)
Place of death	Windsor, England
Spouse	Ann Harrison
Work

Sir John Barton (1771-08-05, Plymouth, England - 1834-08-25, Windsor, England) was an eighteenth century engineer.

He created a micrometer, which he called the "Atometer", for measuring small distances using a differential-screw technique ^[1], a Ruling Engine, and patented a method of creating metal ornaments engraved with parallel lines, using diffraction to create colours. ^[2] An example of the latter are "Barton's Buttons", which were gold buttons stamped with a hard steel die on which Barton cut hexagonal patterns.

Sir John Barton served as deputy comptroller of the Royal Mint in the early part of the nineteenth century and later as Treasurer to Queen Adelaide. He died at Windsor on 1834-08-25. After his death, his wife Ann gave John Harrison's last pendulum clock to the Royal Astronomical Society.

John Harrison of longitude fame was John Barton's father-in-law, which is how Ann Barton had possession of Harrison's last pendulum clock and could give it away. Queen Adelaide was godmother to the Bartons' daughter, who was also named Adelaide and who became the great grandmother of the writer of this paragraph. John Barton had gained his knighthood while private secretary to the Prince of Wales for services rendered in keeping the prince's wife out of the way while the prince was consorting with his mistress. As inventors who often collaborated, John Harrison and John Barton together became frequent and well received visitors to the royal family, and John Barton's memorial plaque is now to be seen in St. George's chapel, Windsor.