A DESCRIPTION with PLATES, of the TIME-KEEPER invented by the late MR. THOMAS MUDGE. To which is prefixed a narrative, by THOMAS MUDGE HIS SON. de MUDGE, Thomas, 1717-1794.: - 1799

London, printed for the author; and sold by Mess. Payne, Cadell and Davies, Rivingtons, Dilly, and Richardson, 1799.. Of Measures Taken To Give Effect To The Invention Since The Reward Bestowed Upon it by The House Of Commons In The Year 1793; A Republication of A Tract by The Late MR. Mudge on The Improvement Of Time-Keepers; and a series of letters written by him to His Excellency Count Bruhl, between the years 1773 and 1787. FIRST EDITION 1799. 4to approximately 275 x 200 mm, 10½ x 8 inches, PORTRAIT FRONTISPIECE MISSING, good facsimile on old paper inserted, 9 folding engraved plates, pages: [12], cli, [3], 4-176, contemporary half calf, gilt lettered label to spine, gilt decoration to spine, marbled boards. Binding rubbed, 1 inch damaged at bottom of upper hinge, corners worn, lower corner of upper board repaired, pale yellowish browning to facsimile frontispiece, occasional pale browning and spotting, otherwise a very clean copy. Mudge was watchmaker to the king, and spent much of his career attempting to improve upon the advances made by John Harrison on his chronometer. He crossed swords with the astronomer royal, Neville Maskelyne, who had claimed that Mudges time-pieces were not accurate enough. Mudge claimed that the testing process had been unfair (a common claim against Maskelyne). Eventually, however, he received a £2,500 prize from the Board of Longitude. See: Baillie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World, page 261; John Bromley, The Clockmakers' Library, page 41, No. 600. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.