53 



WHLIAM JAMES FRODSHAM, F.R.S. 



Born July 25, 1778. Died June 29, 1850. 



William J. Frodsham was born in London, and brought up under 

 the care of his grandfather, a great admirer of John Harrison, the 

 inventor of the timekeeper for ascertaining the longitude at sea. 

 From thus spending his early life with his grandfather, young 

 Frodsham acquired a strong desire to engage in the business of 

 chronometer making, he was consequently apprenticed to a man 

 eminent in that art. Shortly after completing his apprenticeship 

 Mr. Frodsham, in the year 1800, entered into partnership with Mr. 

 W. Parkinson of Lancaster, and hence arose the celebrated firm of 

 Parkinson and Frodsham. 



During his entire life Mr. Frodsham devoted himself to the ad- 

 vancement of the art he had engaged in, and being ably assisted 

 by his partner effected various improvements in chronometers, 

 watches, and other timekeepers, and was also the author of a paper 

 on pendulum experiments. Mr. Frodsham lived to an advanced 

 age, surviving his partner by many years. During his career he 

 acquired a large fortune, which he bequeathed to his family, leaving 

 at the same time a sum of 1000. to the Clockmakers' Company, of 

 which he had been Master several times during his life. Mr. 

 Frodsham died at Chatham Place, Hackney, and was buried in 

 Highgate Cemetery. 



DAVIES GIDDY GILBERT, D.C.L., P.R.S. 



Born March 6, 1767. Died December 24, 1839. 



Davies Giddy Gilbert was born at Tredrea, in the parish of St. 

 Erth, in the west of Cornwall. His paternal name was Giddy, his 

 father being the Rev. Edward Giddy of St. Erth. His mother, an 

 heiress of very considerable property, was Catherine Davies, allied 

 to the noble family of Sandys, and a descendant of William Noye, 

 attorney general in the reign of Charles the First. Young Giddy, 

 not being of very robust health, was reared with great care, and 

 his education chiefly superintended by his father, who was an 

 accomplished scholar, and a man of acknowledged ability and 

 attainments. 



As Gilbert grew up, it was thought desirable to place him in the 

 grammar school at Penzance ; and for this purpose his parents 



