Early Clocks | Lee Borrett
A
400-year-old
London Sundial,1625
One of the earliest surviving English brass sundials to retain its original knife-edge gnomon, this remarkable London dial provides a rare insight into the work of the city’s early mathematical instrument makers during one of the most important years in British history.
Before clocks became established in England, sundials were the principal means of telling the time. Even after the arrival of the earliest domestic clocks, they continued to play an essential role throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Before the invention of the pendulum, domestic clocks were often unreliable timekeepers and required regular resetting against a sundial. Early lantern clock makers frequently supplied their clocks with a small brass sundial, either made within their own workshop or, for wealthier clients and the finest London clocks, commissioned from a skilled Mathematical Instrument Maker.
The remarkably rare example illustrated below belongs to that latter tradition. Signed E.C’ and dated 1625, it is an exceptionally well-made London horizontal brass sundial that retains its original thin knife-edge gnomon, complete with restored tenons. Recent research by Dr John Davis, Editor of the British Sundial Society Bulletin, has shown that the dial was produced by a highly competent maker working to London’s latitude and has identified the London mathematical instrument maker Edward Coolinge as the strongest known candidate for its manufacture. Although this attribution remains provisional pending further documentary evidence, it offers a fascinating insight into one of London’s earliest communities of scientific instrument makers.
The historical significance of the dial extends well beyond its craftsmanship. It was made during one of the most remarkable years in British history: the year in which James VI and I died, Charles I succeeded to the throne, and the Stuart monarchy entered a period that would ultimately culminate in the English Civil War. Throughout this article, the story of this exceptional little sundial is explored alongside the historical events that shaped the world in which it was made, demonstrating how a single scientific instrument can illuminate one of the most fascinating periods of seventeenth-century England.
A
London Sundial
By Edward Coolinge, 1625
This remarkable early seventeenth-century horizontal brass sundial measures just four and a half inches square and dates from one of the most significant years in British history. Signed ‘E.C.’ and dated 1625, it belongs to the closing months of the reign of James VI and I and the beginning of the reign of his son, Charles I. Recent research suggests that the London mathematical instrument maker Edward Coolinge is the strongest known candidate for its manufacture, although this attribution remains provisional pending the discovery of further documentary evidence.
The dial consists of a finely engraved brass plate measuring four and a half inches square, with fixing holes at each corner for permanent mounting. Around the outer edge runs a Roman numeral hour scale, while the carefully laid-out hour lines terminate in a series of diminishing circular motifs towards the centre, creating a design that is both practical and visually elegant.
At the southern point of the dial the initials ‘E.C.’ and the date 1625 are deeply punch-marked into the brass. Behind the gnomon, at the northern end, is a distinctive cross pattée marking true noon, notably without the noon gap often encountered on later dials.
At the southern point of the dial the initials ‘E.C.’ and the date 1625 are deeply punch-marked into the brass. Behind the gnomon, at the northern end, is a distinctive cross pattée marking true noon, notably without the noon gap often encountered on later dials.
Despite its modest size, the quality of the engraving, the precision of its layout and the survival of so many original features make this an exceptionally important example of an early London brass sundial and a rare survivor from the formative years of English mathematical instrument making.
Above. The ‘E.C.’, 1625 London sundial measures four and a half inches square and retains its original thin brass knife-edge gnomon with sympathetically restored tenons. The initials ‘E.C.’ and the date 1625 are punch-marked at the southern point of the dial. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Above. The original knife-edge gnomon retains its characteristic fringed back edge, a feature commonly found on English sundials of this early period. Behind the gnomon, the northern point is marked by a cross pattée indicating true noon. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Above. The dial retains its original fixing holes at each corner, allowing it to be permanently secured to a horizontal surface. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Above. Another view of the original ‘E.C.’, 1625 knife-edge gnomon showing its finely made fringed back edge and restored tenons. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Below. The centre of the dial showing the Roman numeral hour scale, diminishing circular motifs and the deeply punch-marked initials ‘E.C.’ with the date 1625. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Who was the early
Seventeenth - century maker ‘E.C.’?
One of the most intriguing questions surrounding this remarkable sundial concerns the identity of the maker represented by the initials ‘E.C.’. Although the dial is clearly signed and dated 1625, no maker’s full name appears, leaving its authorship open to investigation.
Above. The small stars for the half-hours are also punched and the cross-pattée for noon is formed from two punched ‘I’s at right angles and denotes this dial was made by a professional Mathematical Instrument Maker as apposed to clockmaker as sets of punches were expensive and was far more time consuming to execute. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Below. Showing a close-up of the deeply punch-engraved signature and date. E.C, 1625. Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Recent research by Dr John Davis, Editor of the British Sundial Society Bulletin, has shown that the dial was produced by an exceptionally competent craftsman. Unlike many early brass dials, the Roman numerals are individually punched rather than engraved, while the half-hour stars are also formed using punches. Even the distinctive cross pattée marking noon is created from two punched letter ‘I’ punches set at right angles. These details are significant because complete sets of steel punches were expensive to produce and generally associated with professional mathematical instrument makers rather than ordinary clockmakers.
Equally impressive is the mathematical accuracy of the dial. By measuring the angles of the hour lines in relation to the noon line, Dr Davis calculated a latitude of approximately 51.6 degrees, corresponding closely with that of London. The precision of the layout is comparable with the finest mathematical instrument makers working in the capital during the early seventeenth century, providing strong evidence that the dial was produced by an experienced London craftsman.
Having established that the maker was most likely a London mathematical instrument maker, Dr Davis searched for individuals whose initials matched those found on the dial. This investigation led to Edward Coolinge, whose name appears in Gloria Clifton’s Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers as the master of Robert Limborow, a mathematical instrument maker who became free of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1604.
Assuming the normal seven-year apprenticeship, Robert Limborow would have been apprenticed to Edward Coolinge around 1597. To have been an established master by that date, Coolinge himself must have been born before approximately 1576, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He would therefore have been in his late forties, or perhaps older, when this sundial was made in 1625.
Although no surviving documentary evidence has yet been discovered linking Edward Coolinge directly to this particular dial, he remains the strongest known candidate for its manufacture. At present, he is the only London mathematical instrument maker known to have been working during the appropriate period whose initials correspond with those engraved on the dial. Further archival discoveries may one day confirm or refine this attribution, but for now Edward Coolinge represents the most convincing and historically credible candidate.
The Darnley Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. If Edward Coolinge is indeed the maker of the ‘E.C.’ sundial, he was probably born before about 1576, during Elizabeth’s reign, and would have been in his late forties when this remarkable dial was made in 1625. Unidentified artist, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Recent
History,Ownership
Restoration of the Dial
And
The dial first came to light around 2019 when it was offered for sale in the United States. Although complete with its original thin brass knife-edge gnomon, the original fixing tenons had broken away many years earlier. As a result, the gnomon had been secured to the surface of the dial with old solder fillets, leaving it slightly out of its original position.
After its discovery, the sundial was purchased by a private collector who carefully removed the old solder and sympathetically restored the original method of fixing by replacing the missing brass tenons. Although this was carried out to a high standard, the opportunity was not taken to reposition the gnomon precisely over its original point of delineation. Consequently, the foot of the gnomon still sits a few millimetres north of the original centre punch mark.
The dial was later acquired by an antiques dealer, from whom I was fortunate enough to purchase it after seeing it offered for sale in Britain.
Recognising both the rarity of the sundial and the importance of establishing its maker, I contacted Dr John Davis, Editor of the British Sundial Society, and asked whether he would be willing to examine it. Dr Davis very kindly agreed and carried out a detailed examination of the dial, analysing its construction, engraving and geometry.
His investigation demonstrated that the dial had been laid out for the latitude of London and was almost certainly produced by a highly skilled mathematical instrument maker rather than by a clockmaker. Through further documentary research, Dr Davis subsequently identified Edward Coolinge as the strongest known candidate for the maker of the dial, providing an entirely new historical context for this remarkable survivor.
Today the sundial remains in remarkably original condition. The engraved brass plate has survived with exceptional clarity, retaining its original knife-edge gnomon, now sympathetically secured by restored tenons. Although the gnomon is very slightly displaced from its original position, it has deliberately been left undisturbed to avoid any unnecessary intervention that might risk damaging this exceptionally rare early seventeenth-century object.
Above. Side view of the E.C., 1625 London sundial. The original thin brass knife-edge gnomon survives with sympathetically restored tenons after the originals failed many years ago. During conservation, the original method of fixing was reinstated, although the foot of the gnomon remains a few millimetres north of the original centre punch mark. It has intentionally been left undisturbed to preserve the integrity of the dial. Private collection, Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Below. Reverse of the E.C., 1625 sundial showing the restored brass tenons securing the original knife-edge gnomon. Private collection, Photographed by Lee Borrett.
Although measuring only four and a half inches square, the E.C. sundial provides a remarkable link between the world of Elizabethan mathematical instrument making and the turbulent reign of Charles I. Its survival allows us to explore not only the craftsmanship of an individual London maker, but also one of the most significant years in British history.
Historically Important
Events of 1625
The
The date 1625, deeply punch-marked into the brass plate, immediately places this remarkable sundial within one of the most significant years in British history.
It was a year that witnessed the end of one reign and the beginning of another. On 27 March 1625, King James VI of Scotland and I of England died at Theobalds Palace after ruling England and Scotland for more than two decades following the Union of the Crowns in 1603. His death brought to an end the Jacobean age and marked the beginning of a new and ultimately turbulent chapter in British history.
His second son immediately succeeded him as King Charles I, inheriting three kingdoms and a nation that was becoming increasingly divided by religious, political and financial tensions. Although few could have imagined it at the time, the decisions taken during Charles’s reign would eventually lead England into the devastating Civil War, culminating in his execution outside the Banqueting House at Whitehall on 30 January 1649.
It was against this remarkable historical backdrop that the E.C. sundial was made. Whether produced by Edward Coolinge, as Dr John Davis has suggested, or by another London mathematical instrument maker, this little brass dial was created at precisely the moment when England stood on the threshold of one of the most dramatic periods in its history.
Nearly four centuries later, it survives as both a beautifully made scientific instrument and a tangible witness to those extraordinary events.
King James VI and I
The Death of
(27th March 1625)
On 27 March 1625, James VI of Scotland and I of England died at Theobalds Palace after reigning for twenty-two years as King of England and Ireland and almost fifty-eight years as King of Scotland. The son of Mary, Queen of Scots, James united the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603 following the death of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, becoming the first Stuart monarch to rule both kingdoms.
The E.C. sundial was made during the final months of James’s reign, making it one of the last surviving scientific instruments produced under the Jacobean monarchy.
Above. King James VI and I (1566–1625), portrayed by Paul van Somer. The E.C., 1625 sundial dates from the closing months of his reign. Following his death on 27 March 1625, the English throne passed immediately to his son, Charles I. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Charles I Succeeds to the Throne
Charles I Succeeds to the Throne
(27th March 1625)
Upon the death of his father on 27 March 1625, Charles immediately became King of England, Scotland and Ireland. Although only twenty-four years of age, he inherited a kingdom already facing growing political and religious tensions. During the next twenty-four years those divisions deepened, eventually erupting into the English Civil War.
Looking back today, the E.C. sundial belongs to this pivotal moment in British history. It was made during the very year Charles ascended the throne, long before the Civil War, the execution of the King, the Commonwealth, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London transformed the nation.
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Above. Charles I - Daniel Mytens I - Charles I, was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Alamy.com
Henrietta Maria of France
King Charles I,
Married
(On the 1st May,1625)
Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669), daughter of King Henry IV of France, became Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland following her marriage to Charles I in 1625. Workshop of Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Only a few weeks after succeeding to the throne, King Charles I entered into a marriage that would have profound consequences for both his reign and the history of England.
On 1 May 1625, Charles was married by proxy at Notre Dame in Paris to the fifteen-year-old Henrietta Maria, the youngest daughter of King Henry IV of France and Marie de’ Medici. The young queen crossed the English Channel the following month, and the couple were married in person at Canterbury.
The marriage was politically important but also deeply controversial. Henrietta Maria was a devout Roman Catholic at a time when anti-Catholic feeling remained strong throughout England. Many of Charles’s Protestant subjects viewed the marriage with suspicion, and it soon became one of several factors contributing to the growing distrust between the King and Parliament.
When this little brass sundial was made during 1625, these events were unfolding for the first time. Neither its maker nor its original owner could have imagined that the young royal couple would one day find themselves at the centre of a conflict that would divide the kingdom and ultimately lead to the English Civil War.
Today, the E.C. sundial survives as a tangible reminder of that pivotal year, linking the craftsmanship of London’s mathematical instrument makers with one of the most important turning points in British history.
_-_Charles_I_and_Henrietta_Maria_-_RCIN_405789_-_Royal_.jpg)
Charles handing a laurel wreath to Henrietta Maria, by Daniël Mijtens. They were married in 1625. Daniël Mijtens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Although their marriage began under difficult circumstances, Charles and Henrietta Maria gradually developed a close and devoted relationship, particularly following the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham in 1628. Together they had nine children, including the future Kings Charles II and James II, both of whom would later succeed to the English throne after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
Looking back across four centuries, it is remarkable to reflect that the E.C., 1625 sundial was already in existence before any of these events unfolded. It survived the English Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London, making it not only an exceptionally rare scientific instrument but also a silent witness to some of the defining events of seventeenth-century England.
Above. Henrietta Maria and King Charles I with Charles, Prince of Wales, and Princess Mary, painted by Anthony van Dyck, 1633. The greyhound symbolises the marital fidelity between Charles and Henrietta Maria Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Summary
For me, one of the greatest pleasures of collecting early clocks and sundials is that they are far more than simply beautiful surviving objects. If you are prepared to invest the time researching them, they often reveal remarkable stories that connect craftsmanship with some of the most important events in British history.
That has certainly been true of this extraordinary little brass sundial.
Measuring just four and a half inches square, it was made in 1625, one of the most significant years in the history of the British monarchy. It dates from the closing months of the reign of King James VI and I, the accession of King Charles I, and the King’s marriage to Henrietta Maria of France. Within little more than twenty years, England would descend into civil war, culminating in the execution of Charles I and the temporary abolition of the monarchy.
Research carried out by Dr John Davis, Editor of the British Sundial Society, has shown that the dial was laid out for the latitude of London and almost certainly produced by a highly accomplished mathematical instrument maker. His investigations have identified Edward Coolinge as the strongest known candidate for its maker. Although this identification remains provisional, Edward Coolinge is presently the only known London Mathematical Instrument Maker with the initials “E.C.” working at the appropriate period, making him by far the most convincing candidate.
Four centuries later, the sundial survives with exceptional definition, retaining its original knife-edge gnomon, now sympathetically secured by restored tenons. Although showing the honest signs of age and careful conservation, it remains an outstanding example of the craftsmanship achieved by London’s early mathematical instrument makers.
For me, illustrating this remarkable sundial on this website is about much more than simply displaying a rare object. It is about restoring its historical identity and sharing the fascinating story that emerged through careful research. What first appeared to be an anonymous brass dial has become a tangible link with Elizabethan instrument making, the early Stuart monarchy and one of the most dramatic periods in English history.
Today, more than four hundred years after it was first engraved with the initials “E.C.” and the date 1625, this remarkable survivor continues to remind us that even the smallest historical objects can preserve some of the greatest stories.
Acknowledgement
I am especially grateful to Dr John Davis, Editor of the British Sundial Society, for his generosity in examining and analysing the E.C., 1625 sundial and for allowing me to draw upon his published research. His careful analysis established that the dial was laid out for the latitude of London and identified Edward Coolinge as the strongest known candidate for its maker. Much of the historical discussion concerning the attribution of the dial is based upon Dr Davis’s article, “Who was EC? – Update”, published in the British Sundial Society Bulletin (September 2024).
My sincere thanks also go to antique scientific instrument dealer Jason Clarke, who made it possible for me to acquire this exceptionally rare seventeenth-century sundial and who kindly permitted me to make use of information from his own published description of the dial.
