SUPERBE TELESCOPE DE MARINE OFFERT PAR LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA REINE VICTORIA EN 1865 AU CAPITAINE GODEFROY MAITRE DU "COURRIER COLON" QUI A SECOURU LE CAPITAINE ET L'ÉQUIPAGE DU BRIG "ALBANIAN" OF SUNDERLAND EN JANVIER 1865
LE TELESCOPE DE MARINE ou plutôt LUNETTE ou LONGUE VUE EST DE LA CELEBRE Compagnie TROUGHTON & SIMMS
SYNONYME DE GRANDE QUALITÉ IL EST PLAQUÉ ARGENT ET PORTE L'INSCRIPTION : "Presented by the British Government to Captain Godefroy Master of the French Ship « Courrier Colon » in acknowledgement of his humanity and kindness to the Master and Crew of the Brig « Albanian « of Sunderland in January 1862"
C'EST UN RARE TEMOIGNAGE D'UN ACTE DE BRAVOURE ENTRE GENS DE MER . EN EXCELLENT ÉTAT
LONG : 82 CMS POIDS 1KG
A 19th Century Throughton & Simms Mariner's Telescope presented as a Victorian Era lifesaving Award from the Queen of England
Troughton and Simms presentation telescope for Capt Godefroy in 1865
Rating Definition:
Very good. The leather is complete, but shows some shrinkage and scuffing, with a bright patina on the silver components. Optics are in very good shape.
Edward Troughton and William Simms formed a partnership in London, both of them having come from established families of mathematical instrument makers. Two Troughton brothers seem to have established themselves in this profession in London at the end of the 18thCentury, having come from Cumberland, where their father was a farmer. Possibly Edward Troughton developed the interest in optical instruments from around 1804, when their offices were located in The Orrery’ at 136 Fleet Street.
The Simms family had a similar history, but several branches of optical and mathematical instrument makers were operating in the early 1800s, and it was only William Simms who entered a partnership with Edward Troughton in 1826, to form Troughton and Simms. William seemed to do quite well, and from 1851-60 he was quoted as having a residence with its own Observatory in Brambleshaw, near Carshalton, Surrey. The partnership was successful, possibly with a lot of naval and Government work.
From 1826-43 the partnership operated from 136 Fleet Street, then moved to 138, and added other premises at the rear of 138, at 2&4 Peterborough Court: they stayed there until 1915, but added a factory at 340 Woolwich Road, Charlton, SE London. Then the company was absorbed into Cooke, Troughton and Simms.
The Presentation inscriptions
Because of the long inscription on this telescope, we have a record of when it was made, and why it was presented to the first owner. Such presentation units were popular in the 19th Century, sometimes from grateful passengers recognizing the skill of the ship’s Captain after a perilous voyage, sometimes, as in this case, from the Government, recognizing a humanitarian act in saving people or crew from a sinking ship.
Here the inscription reads: Presented by the British Government to Captain Godefroy Master of the French Ship « Courrier Colon » in acknowledgement of his humanity and kindness to the Master and Crew of the Brig « Albanian « of Sunderland in January 1865’. The word kindness’ is written with an f’ for the double s’, as was common at the time.
Also on the single draw the makers name is engraved, Troughton and Simms – London’.
The ships
The Albanian of Sunderland an english ship according to the list of shipwrecks in february 1865 says that the brig sank off Pointe de Coubre(France , a very dangerous spot still nowadays ) When she was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Bordeaux (Gironde France)
So it seems the rescue quoted on the inscription must have been made by the french ship : « Courrier Of Colon »
The Telescope
The telescope is totally brass bodied, but both ends of the main barrel and the first draw are silver plated. It was presumably manufactured in around 1860-65 by Troughton and Simms, and is 32”3/4 long when fully open, and 26”2/3 when closed up: the objective housing is 2 OD. There is a sliding cover over the eyepiece lens, and a cork cover exists for the objective lens. The main body/barrel is covered with brown leather (stiching partialy cut)
Where does this fit with other contemporary telescopes?
This is definitely a naval telescope, similar to the Officer of the Watch models’ introduced later by manufacturers such as Ross, but it follows the pattern of other naval scopes from Dollond and others. It is easy and quick to focus so can be brought into use very fast. It has a good magnification and field of view.
