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This brass rule (pictured here it its fitted case) was made around 1750, probably by Jonathon Sisson of London. It was owned by William Galbraith (1786-1850), an early-19th-century Edinburgh teacher of Mathematics.

This side of the rule is engraved 'J. Sifson / LONDON' and 'William Galbraith / Edinr.' It also contains some of the scales first published by Edmund Gunther in 1624 which were developed to aid easy computation, particularly by navigators, and used well into the 19th century.

After the death of William Galbraith, the rule was in the personal possession of J. D. Forbes, Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-104-286-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1984.59
• Date: Around 1750
  c. 1750
  
• Material: Scale
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Scale
  
• Subject:
• Who: J. Sifson (Inscribed on the scale)
  J. Sisson, London (Maker)
  William Galbraith (Inscribed on the scale)
  
• Where: England, London
  England, London
  Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh
  
• Event:
• Description: Brass scale, inscribed 'William Galbraith / Edinr', by J. Sisson, London, c. 1750
  
• References:
  • For Galbraith, see obituary in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 11 (1851), pp 86-90 and Clarke, T.N., Morrison-Low, A.D. & Simpson, A.D.C. Brass & glass scientific instrument making workshops in Scotland as illustrated by instruments from 
  • For Sisson, see Clifton, Gloria, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851. London: 1995, p 253 
  • Stanley ,William Ford, A descriptive treatise on mathematical drawing instruments. New York & London: 1878, pp 215-9 
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