Gauge rule (detail) (1 of 2)

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This excise officer's gauge rule was made around 1790, probably by Edward Roberts of Old Jewry in London. It is made of wood. The design is a modified version of Thomas Everard's sliding rule proposed by Charles Leadbetter in 1750.

Under one slide the rule is inscribed 'EDWD. ROBERTS Maker in Old Jewry LONDON'. Roberts was working at this address between 1749 and 1784, which was in the same street as the Commissioners of the Excise Office.

In brewing and distilling, it was necessary for excise officers to work out the tax due from the volume of barley malted and from amounts of liquor held in casks. Calculation of the total and partial content (or ullage) of casks was aided by specially designed slide rules such as this one.

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• Online ID: 000-190-002-215-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1975.83
• Date: Around 1790
  c. 1790
  
• Material: Inscription: E Jenkins London Docks 1810; EJ 1841
  Excise gauge rule
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Excise gauge rule
  
• Subject: 19. MATHEMATICS (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who: E. Jenkins (Inscribed on the rule)
  Edward Roberts, Old Jewry, London (Maker)
  
• Where: England, London
  England, London Docks
  
• Event:
• Description: Excise gauge rule by Edward Roberts of London, c. 1790
  
• References:
  • Charles Leadbetter, The Royal Gauger, London, 1739. 
  • For Edward Roberts, see Gloria Clifton, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851, London, 1995, p 234 
  • Peter Delehar, 'Notes on Slide Rules', Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society, No. 3 (1984), pp 3-10 
• Translations:
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