Admiralty Compass Observatory facts for kids
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| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1842 |
| Preceding Department |
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| Dissolved | 1971 |
| Superseding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Admiralty Building Whitehall London |
| Parent Department | Admiralty Navy Department |
The Admiralty Compass Observatory was a special department of the British Royal Navy. It was created in 1842 to help the Royal Navy with everything about compasses. This included designing new ones, making them better, checking them, testing them, and fixing them. They also helped other parts of the military with their instruments. Someone famous, Lord Kelvin, even called it 'the Temple of Accuracy' because it was so precise!
This observatory was managed by different groups over the years: first the Compass Branch (1842–1917), then the Compass Department (1917–1968), and finally the Compass Directorate (1968–1971). Later, it became part of the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment, but it kept working at its original location until the early 1980s.
Contents
History of the Compass Observatory
In 1795, a new job was created called the Hydrographer of the Navy. This person was in charge of making maps, sailing guides, and providing important tools like compasses and clocks to Royal Navy ships. They also looked after naval weather information.
Starting in Charlton
In 1842, the Compass Branch was set up. A special compass observatory was built in a garden in Charlton, London. It was near the Royal Navy's Woolwich Dockyard. Captain Edward Johnson led this project. He chose James Nathaniel Brunton, a retired Scottish soldier, to live in the house and look after the observatory.
The observatory building was an octagonal (eight-sided) wooden structure. It looked a bit like a summer house. It was very important that no iron was used in its construction. This was because iron can affect how a compass works. Inside, it had three stone stands to hold instruments. Two stands were used to find true north. The third stand held compasses that were being tested.
Moving to Deptford
In 1869, the Woolwich Dockyard closed. So, the observatory moved to the Naval Victualling Yard in Deptford. A victualling yard was where the navy stored food and supplies for ships. The Superintendent, who was in charge, had his home and office there. He even had a small museum with old compasses that had been on famous trips.
The simple wooden observatory building was moved from Charlton to Deptford. It was about 15 feet wide and stood in the middle of the yard. Still, no iron was allowed near it. James Nathaniel Brunton continued his work there as the Assistant Superintendent of Compasses until he retired in 1883.
In 1895, a writer named Arthur Quiller-Couch visited the observatory. He described how compasses were tested. A compass would be placed on a stone table. Its direction was checked against a special mark far away. After being tested on land, the compass was then tested again on a ship. The ship would be moved around to check the compass from all directions. This was done every three to four years for ships' compasses. The Superintendent also received regular reports from every British warship around the world.
In 1911, the Compass Branch became separate from the Hydrographer of the Navy's department. It then joined the Controller of the Navy's Department.
New Home at Ditton Park
In 1917, the observatory moved again to Ditton Park near Slough. The compass branch became a full department at this time. By 1968, it was called the Compass Directorate. In 1971, it joined the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE). The site later changed names several times, becoming part of the Defence Research Agency (DRA) and then the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). In 1997, the site was sold.
Leaders of the Compass Observatory
The person in charge of the Compass Observatory was called the Superintendent of Compasses. Some of the early leaders included:
- Commander Edward John Johnson (1842–1847)
- Captain Sir Frederick John Owen Evans (1855–1860)
- Captain Ettrick William Creak (1868–1885)
James Nathaniel Brunton, who helped set up the first observatory, later became the Assistant Superintendent of Compasses from 1871 to 1883.
