Appendix
Surviving Wooden Surveying Compasses
(Asterisk denotes information unavailable)
| Collection | Type of wood | Length (in.) | Width (in.) | Height of bars (in.) | Length of needle (in.) | Maker and period |
| Preston R. Bassett | Maple | 9 | 5 | 3-1/4 | * | Unsigned (18th century) |
| Bucks County Historical Society | Cherry | 11 | 5-1/2 | 6-5/8 | 2-3/8 | Thomas Greenough of Boston (1710-1785) |
| Bostonian Society | Apple or walnut | 13-7/8 | * | * | 4-3/4 | John Dupee of Boston (after 1761) |
| Dartmouth College Museum | Walnut | 7-3/4 | * | * | * | Thomas S. Bowles of Portsmouth, N.H. (c. 1765-1821) |
| * | 12 | 8 | * | * | Unsigned (18th century) | |
| * | 8-3/8 | 4-5/8 | * | * | Unsigned (18th century) | |
| L. C. Eichner (U.S. National Museum) | Hickory | 11 | 5-1/2 | 3 | 4 | Thomas Greenough of Boston (1710-1785) |
| Farmer’s Museum | Oak | 12-3/4 | 6-1/2 | 5 | * | Unsigned (18th century) |
| Franklin Institute | Gum | 13-3/4 | 5-3/4 | 4 | 5 | Thomas Greenough of Boston (1710-1785) |
| Mariner’s Museum | * | * | * | * | * | Charles Thacher (18th century) |
| Old Sturbridge | Maple | 13 | 4 | * | * | Unsigned (18th century) |
| Maple | 11-5/8 | 5-7/8 | * | * | Thomas Greenough of Boston (1710-1785) | |
| Walnut | 18 | 8 | * | * | Aaron Breed of Boston (1791-1861) | |
| New Hampshire Historical Society | Maple | 11 | 5-3/4 | 2-1/2 | 4-5/8 | Joseph Halsy of Boston (fl. 1697-1762) |
| N. Parker | Walnut | 13-1/2 | 4-7/8 | 5 | * | John Dupee of Boston (after 1761) |
| Peabody Museum | * | 11 | * | * | 3 | James Halsy II of Boston (1695-1767) |
| Worth Shampeny | * | * | * | * | * | Jedidiah Baldwin of Hanover, N.H. (c. 1777-1829) |
| South Natick Historical Society | Apple or walnut | 13-16 | * | * | 4-7/8 | John Dupee of Boston (after 1761) |
| Streeter Coll., Yale University | Birch | 13 | 6 | * | 4 | Thomas S. Bowles of Portsmouth, N.H. (c.1765-1821) |
| Cherry | 11-5/6 | 6 | 4 | * | Jere Clough of Boston (18th century) | |
| Cherry | 12 | 6 | 3-1/2 | * | Benjamin Warren of Plymouth, Mass. (fl. 1740-1790) | |
| Roleigh L. Stubbs | Cherry | 7-1/2 | 3-3/4 | 3 | * | Unsigned |
| Silvio A. Bedini | Walnut | 12 | 5-3/8 | 5 | 4 | Thomas S. Bowles of Portsmouth, N.H. (c. 1765-1821) |
| Pine | 5-3/4 | 3-1/2 | 2-1/2 | * | Unsigned (18th century) | |
| Mahogany | * | * | * | * | Unsigned (18th century) | |
| Basswood | 12 | 5-3/4 | 2-3/4 | 4 | Thomas Greenough of Boston (1710-1785) | |
| Birch | 18 | 7-1/2 | 7-1/2 | 6 | Samuel Thaxter of Boston (1769-1842) | |
| Mahogany | 13 | 7-1/4 | 4-1/4 | 6 | Samuel Thaxter of Boston (1769-1842) | |
| Yellow birch | 8-1/4 | 4 | * | 4-1/4 | Benjamin K. Hagger of Boston and Baltimore (c. 1769-1834) | |
| Cherry | 14 | 5-1/2 | 6-3/8 | 4-3/4 | Gurdon Huntington of Windham, Conn. and Walpole, N.H. (1763-1804) | |
| Yale Gallery of Fine Art | Mahogany | 11-1/2 | 5 | * | * | Andrew Newell of Boston (1749-c. 1798) |
Mathematical Practitioners and Instrument Makers
Alphabetical List
(Asterisk denotes information unavailable.)
| Name | Period | Place | Types of instruments |
| Bailey, John | fl. 1778 | Fishkill, N. Y. | Surveying; surgical |
| Bailey, John, II | 1752-1823 | Hanover and Lynn, Mass. | Surveying |
| Baily, Joel (practitioner) | 1732-1797 | West Bradford, Pa. | |
| Baldwin, Jedidiah | c. 1777-1829 | Salem, Boston, and Northampton, Mass.; Hanover, N. H. | Surveying |
| Banneker, Benjamin (practitioner) | c. 1734-1806 | Baltimore | |
| Benson, John | fl. 1793-1797 | * | Optical |
| Biddle, Owen (practitioner) | 1737-1799 | Philadelphia | |
| Biggs, Thomas | fl. 1792-1795 | New York and Philadelphia | Surveying |
| Blakslee, Ziba | 1768-1834 | Newtown, Conn. | Surveying |
| Blundy, Charles | fl. 1753 | Charleston, S. C. | Thermometric; watches |
| Bowles, Thomas S. | c. 1765-1821 | Portsmouth, N. H. | Surveying |
| Breed, Aaron | 1791-1861 | Boston | Surveying |
| Brokaw, Isaac | fl. 1771 | Philadelphia | * |
| Bulmain & Dennies | fl. 1799 | New York | Nautical |
| Burges, Bartholomew | fl. 1789 | Boston | Scientific |
| Burnap, Daniel | 1759-1838 | East Windsor and Coventry, Conn. | Surveying; clocks |
| Caritat, H. | fl. 1799 | New York | Astronomical |
| Chandlee, Benjamin, Jr. | 1723-1791 | Nottingham, Md. | Surveying; clocks |
| Chandlee & Bros. | fl. 1790-1791 | Nottingham, Md. | Clocks; surveying |
| Chandlee, Ellis | 1755-1816 | Nottingham, Md. | Surveying; clocks |
| Chandlee, Ellis & Bros. | fl. 1791-1797 | Nottingham, Md. | Clocks; surveying |
| Chandlee, Goldsmith | c. 1751-1821 | Winchester, Va. | Surveying; astronomical; clocks |
| Chandlee, Isaac | 1760-1813 | Nottingham, Md. | Surveying; clocks |
| Clark, Robert | fl. 1785 | Charleston, S.C. | Nautical; surveying optical |
| Clough, Jere | 18th century | Boston | Surveying |
| Condy, Benjamin | fl. 1756-1798, d. 1798 | Philadelphia | Mathematical; sand glasses |
| Crow, George | c. 1726-1772 | Wilmington, Del. | Surveying; clocks |
| Dabney, John, Jr. | fl. 1739 | Boston | Mathematical |
| Dakin, Jonathan | fl. 1745 | Boston | Mathematical; balances |
| Davenport, William | 1778-1829 | Philadelphia | Mathematical; surveying |
| Dean, William | (?-1797) | Philadelphia | Surveying; nautical |
| Devacht, Joseph and Francois | fl. 1792 | Gallipolis, Ohio | Watches; compasses; sundials |
| Donegan (or Denegan), John | fl. 1787 | New York | Glass; philosophical |
| Donegany, John (see Donegan) | |||
| Doolittle, Enos clocks | 1751-1806 | Hartford, Conn. | Surveying; nautical; |
| Doolittle, Isaac | 1721-1800 | New Haven, Conn. | Clocks; scientific |
| Doolittle, Isaac, Jr. | 1759-1821 | New Haven, Conn. | Surveying; clocks |
| Dupee, John | fl. after 1761 | Boston | Surveying |
| Ellicott, Andrew (also practitioner) | 1754-1820 | Baltimore | Surveying; astronomical |
| Emery, Samuel | 1787-1882 | Salem, Mass. | Mathematical |
| Evans, George | fl. 1796; d. 1798 | Philadelphia | Mathematical |
| Fairman, Gideon (See Hooker and Fairman) | 1774-1827 | Newburyport, Mass. | Mathematical |
| Fisher, Martin | fl. 1790 | Philadelphia | Glass |
| Folger, Peter (practitioner?) | 1617-1690 | Nantucket | |
| Folger, Walter, Jr. surveying | 1765-1849 | Nantucket | Astronomical; Surveying |
| Ford, George | fl. late 18th century to 1842 | Lancaster, Pa. | Surveying; nautical |
| Ford, George, II | fl. 1842 | Lancaster, Pa. | Surveying; nautical |
| Fosbrook, W. | fl. 1786 or earlier | New York | Surgical; dental |
| Gatty, Joseph | fl. 1794 | New York and Philadelphia | Glass; philosophical |
| Gilman, Benjamin C. | 1763-1835 | Exeter, N.H. | Mathematical; clocks |
| Gilmur, Bryan | fl. end of 18th century | Philadelphia | Mathematical; clocks |
| Godfrey, Thomas | 1704-1749 | Philadelphia | Improved reflecting backstaff |
| Gould, John | fl. 1794 | Philadelphia | Nautical; surgical; optical |
| Grainger, Samuel (practitioner) | fl. 1719 | Boston | |
| Greenleaf, Stephen | 1704-1795 | Boston | Mathematical |
| Greenough, Thomas | 1710-1785 | Boston | Mathematical; surveying; nautical; astronomical |
| Greenough, William | fl. 1785 | Boston | Surveying |
| Greenwood, Isaac, Sr. (practitioner) | fl. 1726 | Boston | Surveying |
| Greenwood, Isaac, Jr. | 1730-1803 | Boston | Mathematical |
| Grew, Theophilus (practitioner) | fl. 1753 | Philadelphia | |
| Hagger, Benjamin King | c. 1769-1834 | Boston and Baltimore | Mathematical; surveying |
| Hagger, William Guyse | c. 1744-1830? | Newport, R.I. | Nautical |
| Halsie, James, I (practitioner) | fl. 1674 | Boston | |
| Halsy, James, II | 1695-1767 | Boston | Mathematical; surveying |
| Halsy, John | fl. 1700 | Boston | Mathematical |
| Halsy, Joseph | fl. 1697-1762 | Boston | Surveying; nautical |
| Ham, James | fl. 1754-1764 | New York and Philadelphia | Mathematical |
| Ham, James, Jr. | fl. 1780 | Philadelphia | Mathematical |
| Hamlin, William | 1772-1869 | Providence, R. I. | Mathematical; nautical; astronomical |
| Hanks, Benjamin | 1755-1824 | Mansfield and Litchfield, Conn. | Surveying |
| Hanks, Truman | fl. 1808 | Mansfield and Litchfield, Conn. | Surveying |
| Harland, Thomas | 1735-1807 | Norwich, Conn. | Surveying; clocks |
| Heisely, Frederick A. | 1759-1839 | Frederick, Md.; Lancaster, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, Pa. | Mathematical; surveying; clocks |
| Heisely, George | 1789-1880 | Harrisburg, Pa. | Clocks; mathematical |
| Hinton, William | fl. 1772 | New York | Mathematical |
| Hoff, George | 1740-1816 | Lancaster, Pa. | Clocks; surveying |
| Holcomb, Amasa (also practitioner) | 1787-1875 | Southwick, Mass. | Surveying; astronomical |
| Hooker & Fairman (William Hooker and Gideon Fairman) | before 1810 | Newburyport, Mass. | Mathematical |
| Houghton, Rowland | c. 1678-1744 | Boston | Surveying |
| Huntington, Gurdon | 1763-1804 | Windham, Conn., and Walpole, N.H. | Surveying and other; clocks |
| Jacks, James | fl. 1780’s | Charleston, S.C. surveying | Mathematical; |
| Jayne, John | late 18th century | Salem, Mass. | Mathematical |
| Kennard, John | 1782-1861 | Newmarket, N.H. | Surveying; clocks |
| Ketterer, Alloysius | fl. 1789 | Philadelphia | Glass |
| King & Hagger (Benjamin King and William Guyse Hagger) | 1759 or 1760 until early 1760’s | Newport, R.I. | Mathematical; nautical |
| King, Benjamin | 1707-1786 | Newport, R.I. | Mathematical; nautical |
| King, Benjamin | 1740-1804 | Salem, Mass. | Nautical |
| King, Daniel | 1704-1790 | Salem, Mass. | Mathematical |
| King, Samuel | 1748-1819 | Newport, R.I. | Mathematical |
| Lamb, A. & Son | 1780’s | New York | Mathematical |
| Lamb, Anthony | 1703-1784 | England; Virginia; Philadelphia; New York; Hunter’s Key, N.Y. | Mathematical; surveying; nautical |
| Lamb, John | 1735-1800 | New York | Mathematical |
| Mendenhall, Thomas | fl. 1775 | Lancaster, Pa. | Mathematical; clocks |
| Miller, Aaron | fl. 1748-1771 | Elizabethtown, N.J. | Surveying; clocks; compasses |
| Morris, M. | fl. 1785 | New York | Protractors |
| Newell, Andrew | 1749-1798 | Boston | Mathematical; compasses |
| Newell, Joseph | fl. 1800-1813 | Boston | Surveying |
| Pease, Paul | fl. 1750 | Probably Rhode Island | Quadrant |
| Platt, Augustus | 1793-1886 | Columbus, Ohio | Mathematical; surveying |
| Platt, Benjamin | 1757-1833 | Danbury, Litchfield, and New Milford, Conn.; Lanesboro, Mass.; Columbus, Ohio | Compasses; surveying; clocks |
| Pope, Joseph | 1750-1826 | Boston | Scientific; clocks |
| Potter, John | fl. 1746-1818 | Brookfield, Mass. | Surveying |
| Potts, W. L. | late 18th century | Bucks County, Pa. | Surveying |
| Prince, John (practitioner) | 1751-1836 | Salem, Mass. | Scientific |
| Prince, Nathan (practitioner) | fl. 1743 | Boston | |
| Pryor, Thomas | fl. 1778 | Philadelphia | Mathematical |
| Revere, Paul | 1735-1818 | Boston | Gunnery |
| Rittenhouse, Benjamin | 1740-c.1820 | Philadelphia | Astronomical; surveying |
| Rittenhouse, David (practitioner) | 1732-1796 | Philadelphia and Norriton, Pa. | Astronomical; surveying |
| Rittenhouse & Evans | fl. 1770’s | Philadelphia | Surveying |
| Sibley & Marble (Clark Sibley and Simeon Marble) | late 18th century | New Haven, Conn. | Mathematical; clocks; watches |
| Smith, Cordial | fl. 1775 | Connecticut | Surveying |
| Sommer, widow Balthaser | fl. 1753 | New York | Optical |
| Sower, Christopher | c. 1724-1740 | Germantown and Philadelphia, Pa. | Mathematical; clocks |
| Stiles & Baldwin (Jedidiah Baldwin) | fl. 1791 | Northampton, Mass. | Surveying |
| Stiles & Storrs (Nathan Storrs and Jedidiah Baldwin) | fl. 1792 | Northampton, Mass. | Surveying |
| Taws, Charles | fl. 1795 | Philadelphia | Mathematical |
| Thacher, Charles | 18th century | Probably Boston | Surveying |
| Thaxter, Samuel | 1769-1842 | Boston | Nautical; mathematical surveying |
| Voight, Henry | 1738-1814 | Philadelphia | Astronomical; clocks; watches |
| Wall, George, Jr. | fl. 1788 | Bucks County, Pa. | Surveying |
| Walpole, Charles | fl. 1746 | New York | Mathematical |
| Warren, Benjamin | fl. 1740-1790 | Plymouth, Mass. | Surveying; nautical |
| White, Peregrine | 1747-1834 | Woodstock, Conn. | Surveying; clocks |
| Whitney, John | fl. 1801 | Philadelphia | Mathematical; optical |
| Whitney, Thomas | fl. 1798-1823 | Philadelphia | Mathematical; optical; surveying |
| Williams, William | 1737 or 1738-1792 | Boston | Mathematical; nautical |
| Willis, Arthur (practitioner) | fl. 1674 | Possibly Massachusetts | |
| Wilson, James | 1763-1855 | Bradford, Vt. | Globes |
| Wistar, Richard | fl. 1752 | Wistarburg, N.J. | Glass |
| Witt, Christopher (practitioner) | fl. 1710-1765 | Germantown, Pa. | Mathematical; clocks |
| Wood, John | fl. 1790 | Philadelphia | Compasses |
| Youle, James | 1740-1786 | New York | Surgical |
| Youle, John | fl. 1786 | New York | Surgical |
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