Surveyors' wheel

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A surveyors' wheel, also known as a waywiser, was used for measuring distances along the ground. This wooden example was made around 1800, probably by Jeremiah and Walter Watkins, scientific instrument makers based in London.

The instrument records the distance travelled by the number of revolutions made by the wheel in the course of a journey. The silvered dial is engraved 'J.. & W.. Watkins,/Charing Cross/LONDON//The outer circle is chains and links/8 furlongs equals 1 mile/40 poles equal 220 yards or 10 chains 1 furlong/4 poles equals 1 chain/16 1/2 feet or 5 1/2 yards 1 pole in/7 92/100 1 link'.

Large numbers of waywisers of this type appear to have survived, and although signed by a number of different makers, they were probably made by only a few. Jeremiah and Walter Watkins were in partnership between 1784 and 1798.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-104-193-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1912.53
• Date: Around 1800
  
• Material: Surveyor's wheel / way wiser / perambulator / odometer
  
• Dimensions: 38.00" D (wheel)
  
• What: Surveyor's wheel / way wiser / perambulator / odometer
  
• Subject: 5. CARTOGRAPHY, Surveying (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who: Earl of Ancaster (Former owner (?))
  Messrs J. and W. Watkins, Charing Cross, London (Instrument maker)
  
• Where: England, Lincolnshire, Grimsthorpe
  England, London
  
• Event:
• Description: Surveyor's wheel, otherwise known as a way wiser, perambulator or odometer, made by Messrs J. and W. Watkins, Charing Cross, London, c. 1800
  
• References:
  • For J. & W. Watkins, see Clifton, Gloria, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851. London: 1995, p 291 
  • For the waywiser, see Bennett, J.A. The Divided Circle: A history of instruments for astronomy, navigation and surveying. Oxford: 1987. p 87 
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