Greetings fellow dialists
Re the earliest analemma on a dial in the UK nothing has turned up
before the 1889 example cited by Chris Daniel but thanks to Franz Maes,
Dave G. and Tony Moss for helping the problem along. Early equation of
time corrections engraved around the edge of horizontal dials are common
enought. It would also seem that in the UK tables of the equation of
time were preferred to analemmas. There are several examples, e.g. the
1876 vertical dial by John Smith in Albert Park, Middlesbrough.
At the risk of repetition I offer the following from a book on Scottish
lighthouses: "Scotland's Edge" by Keith Allardyce and Evelyn M. Hood. It
reads:
Since a general order of 29 January 1852, it has been the practice to
have clocks set at local time calculated from sundial readings. The
order is precise: "The Lighthouse Timepiece is to be kept right, by
observing, if possible, once a week, the indication of the Sun-dial, in
the following manner:- The Principal Keeper shall go to the dial, when
the sun is shining, and shall watch until the shadow of the style
touches any hour, half hour or other time agreed upon before hand, with
the Assistant, who shall stand on the balcony, waitng a signal from the
Principal. The Principal shall then make the signal, on seeing which the
Assistant shall immediately set the Timepiece to the time already agreed
upon. The Principal shall then take a note from the Table of the
Equation of Time engraved on the sundial, of the number of minutes by
which the clock should differ from the time given by the dial, and shall
afterwards proceed at once to the Lightroom where he shall put the
timepiece back or forward according as the Clock shall be slower or
faster than the sun at the time."
Frank 55N 1W
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