The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum's listing of instrument-makers
refers to a John Freer, who made a garden sundial (dated 1642) that as of
1979 resided in London. The information we have lists Freer as a
mathematical instrument-maker. This would seem to provide some warrant for
the authenticity of your dial. I would be interested in seeing a picture or
two.
Marv Bolt
>----------
>> Date: March 30, 1997 13:57:15
>> From: gnmeehan
>> To: Sundials Mail
>> Subject: Antique Sundial -- Authenticity
>>
>> I am trying to determine if an old vertical sundial is antique and would
>> appreciate any direction or help on how I might go about this.
>>
>> The sundial is brass. The plane is about 17 cm wide and the gnome is
>> hinged on a vertical axis. It is mounted in the chest area of an oak
>> carving of what appears to be an "English Knight". It is attached to the
>> oak with iron nails and there is an iron bracket at the top for hanging.
>>
>> The plane has on it the lettering "John Freer ....... 1626 ......Ye
>> Towne Coventrie". It also has the hours from VI to VI, and pictures of
>the
>> sun and an elephant.
>>
>> The knight is standing on a flat "globe" about 22 cm in diameter. On it
>is
>> a circular brass plate (dia about 18 cm) with numerous radius lines and
>the
>> inscriptions .... " BRITTAIN, Prussya, Egypte, Arabya, Persya, Indya,
>> Indya Oceane, Sundals, Chyna, and Peeccful Oceane". In the center of this
>> plate is a smaller circular plate with the radius lines numbered from I to
>> XII corresponding to the above geographic locations (Peeccful Oceane gets
>> three lines.
>>
>> Overall the oak carving is about 90 cm tall and about 27 cm at the
>sholders.
>>
>> A picture is worth a million words and I do have several binaries I can
>> send to those interested.
>>
>> I am new at all of this. I mean sundials, antiques and e-mail. I would
>> appreciate hearing from anyone who can suggest how I can go about finding
>> out whether John Freer was a builder or an owner. Might he have existed
>in
>> 1626? Were these kind of sundials for travel and were they common?
>>
>> Regards
>> Neil Meehan
-----------
Marvin Bolt
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