Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Tool · English astronomical compendium

Astronomical Compendium by Humfrey Cole

Partially verified

This gilt brass astronomical compendium, signed by Humfrey Cole and dated 1575, is a portable instrument measuring 55 x 23 mm when closed. It features a hinged universal equatorial sundial, a magnetic compass, a nocturnal, a latitude list, and a perpetual calendar. The exterior of the upper leaf functions as a nocturnal with two circular scales and two volvelles, while the interior lists European town latitudes. The lower leaf contains a painted compass card featuring thirty-two points, with the exterior functioning as a calendar for saints' days, Dominical letters, and lunar cycles. The instrument includes a suspension ring and is accompanied by an original brown leather case. The maker's signature and date are engraved on the hour ring of the sundial. This object is held in the collections of the British Museum and was bequeathed by Octavius Morgan in 1888.

Gilt brass astronomical compendium by Humfrey Cole, 1575, showing the opened dial, compass, and internal inscriptions.
Gilt brass astronomical compendium by Humfrey Cole, 1575, showing the opened dial, compass, and internal inscriptions. — British Museum, London. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.mhs.ox.ac.uk
Category
Tool · English astronomical compendium
Maker / attribution
Humfrey Cole
Reference
MLA 1888,12-1.293
Catalogue / lot identifier
MLA 1888,12-1.293
Source-reported date
1575
Source-reported place
England

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Construction and Design

The instrument is constructed from gilt brass and measures 55 x 23 mm when closed. It features a circular, hinged format that incorporates multiple components, including a nocturnal, a perpetual calendar, a magnetic compass, and a universal equatorial sundial. The exterior is finished with an engraved rope-twist design along the rim, which carries inscriptions related to the passage of time.

For portability, the compendium is equipped with a suspension system consisting of a sphere, two decorative scrolls, and a loose ring, allowing for attachment to a chain or belt. The instrument includes an original fitted brown leather case with red velvet lining, which has been preserved with the object since its acquisition.

Evidence for this section
  • “Gilt brass; 55 x 23 mm closed”
  • “The rim is decorated with a rope-twist design.”
  • “The instrument retains its original fitted brown leather case stamped in gold and lined with red velvet.”

Timekeeping and Astronomical Components

The nocturnal, located on the outside of the upper leaf, utilizes two volvelles and two circular scales, with the central disc marked 'THE POLE STERRE'. The interior of the same leaf contains a list of latitudes for various European towns arranged in concentric rings. The equatorial sundial, hinged between the leaves, is supported by a crescent-shaped mount and includes a sliding latitude quadrant calibrated from 0 to 90 degrees.

The lower leaf houses a magnetic compass with a multicoloured card showing thirty-two points. The exterior of this leaf functions as a perpetual calendar, titled to begin in 1572, and includes details for saints' days, Dominical letters, Golden numbers, and Epacts. A plumb bob, originally attached to the apex of the latitude quadrant, is no longer present.

Evidence for this section
  • “The outside on the top leaf is laid out as a nocturnal consisting of two circular scales and two volvelles”
  • “A universal equatorial sundial is hinged between the upper and lower leaf of the compendium.”
  • “A magnetic compass with a painted compass card in gold, green, grey and burgundy is set into the inside of the lower leaf.”
  • “A plumb bob originally fixed to a hole in the apex of the quadrant is now missing.”

Signature and Documentation

The maker's name and the year of manufacture are engraved on the hour ring of the equatorial sundial. The instrument is registered in the British Museum under accession number MLA 1888,12-1.293, having been bequeathed to the institution by Octavius Morgan in 1888. It has been the subject of several academic publications concerning Elizabethan scientific instruments.

The object is associated with a similar compendium by the same maker held in the collections of the National Museums in Edinburgh, which also dates to 1575. Documentation and physical analysis of the piece have been published in studies by R. T. Gunther, F. A. B. Ward, and Silke Ackermann.

Evidence for this section
  • “The signature of the maker and the date 'Humfrey C?le 1575' are engraved on this side of the hour ring.”
  • “The instrument was bequeathed by Octavius Morgan in 1888”

Open research questions

  • What is the historical significance of the specific list of European cities engraved on the inside cover?
  • Is there further evidence regarding the origin of the missing plumb bob part during the 19th-century ownership?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Astronomical Compendium by Humfrey Cole
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerHumfrey Cole“Signed by Humfrey Cole”
Date1575“Dated 1575”
MaterialGilt brass“Gilt brass”
Dimensions55 x 23 mm closed“55 x 23 mm closed”
Inventory NumberMLA 1888,12-1.293“Registration no. MLA 1888,12-1.293”
ProvenanceOctavius Morgan“The instrument was bequeathed by Octavius Morgan in 1888”

Visible details

  • Universal equatorial sundial includes a skeletonised latitude quadrant with a degree scale
  • Compass card features fleur-de-lis, cross, arrow and spade symbols at cardinal points
  • Rim engraved with two distinct moralistic English verses
  • Suspension assembly comprises a sphere with two scrolls and a loose ring

Research qualifications

  • Plumb bob originally intended for the quadrant is now missing
  • Specific interpretations of the calendar tables are historical in nature

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Astronomical Compendium

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record 9011327e17

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other english astronomical compendium records