Any Nautical Types Out There?

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I've come into what we think - through internet research - is an early 19th century octant. I know it's been in my family since the late 1800s. I haven't got any pictures yet, but it looks almost identical to this (scroll down to the bottom):

http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/c...ArticleID=1914

Mine is in what I would call VG-excellent condition, with all bits complete. It needs some cleaning, but otherwise I would consider it fully functional. There are no maker's marks I can find, but basically, we're dealing with an ebony frame with ivory inlays and brass hardware. The scale runs from 0-100 degrees.

How do I get this properly evaluated? I know nothing about this stuff.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
I've come into what we think - through internet research - is an early 19th century octant. I know it's been in my family since the late 1800s. I haven't got any pictures yet, but it looks almost identical to this (scroll down to the bottom):

http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/c...ArticleID=1914

Mine is in what I would call VG-excellent condition, with all bits complete. It needs some cleaning, but otherwise I would consider it fully functional. There are no maker's marks I can find, but basically, we're dealing with an ebony frame with ivory inlays and brass hardware. The scale runs from 0-100 degrees.

How do I get this properly evaluated? I know nothing about this stuff.

Jif
Check the link..The market will tell you what it is worth,unless it has some traceable historical significance...

http://search.ebay.com/Octant_W0QQbs...Z1QQsofocusZbs

Hi,

The octant (if thats what it is) has an "ANCHOR" symbol directly above the "50" mid mark of the "scale" (ruler?) ... someone told me today that the "anchor" is a symbol oft used by the U.S, Navy ...

G's family arrived this neck of the world as United Empire Loyalists at Albany (NY?) (from England) and migrated here to Upper Canada ... his Grandfather/G-Grandfather??? is said to have used this particular instrument ... therefore, we're taking 1800's.

(Geoff, please correxct any mistakes I made in your family's history)

The ANCHOR symbol, I think, is signifigant, and may well be the biggest clue as to maker, date-range, and value now.

Can anyone shed light on any of this for Geoff???

Thanks folks,

THIS octant that i found online is very VERY similar to Geoff's.

http://www.freewebs.com/ebayalbum/index.htm

I suspect that Geoff's Octant was made prior to 1800 but am not sure ... I could be wrong.

KEYWORD: ANCHOR symbol. (that's the closest we have to be able to ID this octant ... no names/signatures/symbols anywhere else on it. It is ebony, brass, and I believe ivory.

Thanks everyone.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

OK, you almost got it right... we arrived here in 1786 (the Niagara peninsula) from the Albany area (look up the town of Ball's Falls on the map, that's us). Sometime prior to that, the Worcester area of western England.

This device, however old it is, was last used by the brother of the clerical fellow whose picture sits above my mantle... this would be in the 1870s. I find it hard to do the maths - hell, any logical reasoning - at this time in the morning, but methinks, GG Uncle?

I hasten to stress that the pic referenced above shows an octant missing most of its bits... mine is complete.

[Bruce MacMillan]

GWB quotes "we arrived here in 1786 (the Niagara peninsula) from the Albany area"

Ah, another fellow pre-Canadian. One side of my family arrived in 1785 from Sir John Johnson's colony near Stone Arabia, N.Y. after serving with the King's Royal Regiment of New York and Butler's Rangers. For some reason their rebel neighbours didn't like them

They received their grant of land in Finch township.

Hi again,

A couple of days ago an antiques guy told me:

"Small anchors often indicate U. S. Navy equipment."

This octant in G.'s possession has a small anchor marked directly above the midway "50" mark on the scale part.

Any US Navy guys in here that might be able to shed more light or leads???

Thanks.

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
OK, you almost got it right...

Well ... some things sink in ... then drown

Thanks for correcting me

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Bruce MacMillan
GWB quotes "we arrived here in 1786 (the Niagara peninsula) from the Albany area"

Ah, another fellow pre-Canadian. One side of my family arrived in 1785 from Sir John Johnson's colony near Stone Arabia, N.Y. after serving with the King's Royal Regiment of New York and Butler's Rangers. For some reason their rebel neighbours didn't like them

They received their grant of land in Finch township.

Greetings, fellow Pre-Canadian! I'm the great-great-great-great Grandson of Samuel Williams who was born in or near New York city on May 27, 1767. Loyal to Great Britain and an "adherent to the Royal cause" he came to Canada with his father John Williams. John Williams claim of land was witnessed at Mashish, Que. in 1783 and he and his son settled in West Lake, Ontario in 1784. There Samuel married Jemima Platt from Plattsburgh, N.Y. on Oct. 6, 1792 and thus began the long, difficult process of hewing our great nation from a "howling widerness."

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bruce MacMillan
GWB quotes "we arrived here in 1786 (the Niagara peninsula) from the Albany area"

Ah, another fellow pre-Canadian. One side of my family arrived in 1785 from Sir John Johnson's colony near Stone Arabia, N.Y. after serving with the King's Royal Regiment of New York and Butler's Rangers. For some reason their rebel neighbours didn't like them

They received their grant of land in Finch township.

Hi Bruce,
Being an afficienado of our early history of that period,there's a mountain all by itself south of Montreal now called Mt.Saint Gregoire which was originally called Mt.Johnson.He & his family settled land below the summit after the revolution.Recently a French Canadian farmer bulldozed a small hill to farm.Only after the fact,he was curious about all the rock amongst the rubble.The Historic society learned this was in fact Sir John's family crypt.Oh well,so much for historic monuments.

[Bruce MacMillan]

I guess we hijacked Geoff's thread. I hope he finds out about his octant (or backstaff or pentant). Good question - when did the US navy adopt the anchor symbol? I would have thought that most American stuff during the revolution would have been captured from the Royal Navy and bear their symbols.

As to Mt. Saint Gregoire, keeping with political correctness and the current federal mentality we must destroy anything British that might hint of unifying the country or be contrary to multiculturalism!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bruce MacMillan
I guess we hijacked Geoff's thread. I hope he finds out about his octant (or backstaff or pentant). Good question - when did the US navy adopt the anchor symbol? I would have thought that most American stuff during the revolution would have been captured from the Royal Navy and bear their symbols.

As to Mt. Saint Gregoire, keeping with political correctness and the current federal mentality we must destroy anything British that might hint of unifying the country or be contrary to multiculturalism!

Dear Mr. MacMillan,

Please be advised that the penalty for hijacking one of SUNRAY's threads is to buy his octant. Please contact SUNRAY separately to arrange the transfer of large quantities of your cash for his priceless octant.

Thank you,

THE MANAGEMENT

PS: I tend to agree with you regards the anchor symbol. I have yet to run across one of those wizened old eclectics who haunt the dark corners of England's [nautical] museums, but I have a feeling I'll find out everything I need to know when I do.

PPS:

[Bruce MacMillan]

please accept enclosed monetary unit and duplicate as much as you feel will cover the bill.