Harrison's "Sea Watch" No.1 (H4), with winding
crank
("H4 low 250" by Phantom Photographer - Own work.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H4_low_250.jpg#/media/File:H4_low_250.jpg)
"Oh! do not attack me with your
watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a
watch." Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park Ch. 9
In the early eighteenth century timekeeping was a difficult
task. The iPhone and Apple Watch had not yet been invented. Accurate
timekeeping was especially important for ships at sea so that their navigators
could know the longitude of the ship’s position. The invention of an accurate
chronometer by John Harrison in the mid-seventeen hundreds helped to solve the
problem and made a great deal of money for Harrrison.
By Jane Austen’s time timekeeping was well established. Mary
Crawford however did not wish to be ruled by a watch. Perhaps she understood
the limitations of the current technology or, more likely, simply preferred
her own alternate reality.
Sir Bertram, however is perfectly willing to be ruled by the
dictates of his watch. When informed that Fanny has been invited to the Grant’s
for dinner he immediately consults his watch.
"She will be late," said Sir
Thomas, taking out his watch; "but what is your difficulty?"
Mansfield Park Ch. 23
Nothing surprising here about Fanny being asked out.
Jane Austen was acutely aware of time and used it in her
novels. Join us at our next JASNA CWNY meeting to learn more about period
clocks.
Event: March Meeting of JASNA CWNY
Place: Barnes and Noble, Pittsford NY Community Room
Time: 1 pm
