A VICTORIAN WALNUT MERCURY WHEEL BAROMETER WITH TWELVE-INCH DIAL J. Sewill, Liverpool and London, circa 1860 The 12 inch star-centred circular silvered register signed ADIE, J. SEWILL, 61 South Castle St., LIVERPOOL, & 30 Cornhill, LONDON within scale calibrated in barometric inches and with the usual observations within cast brass bevel glazed bezel, the case with arched scroll-bordered pediment over slender conforming scroll-edged trunk applied with a glazed silvered Fahrenheit scale spirit thermometer, the shaped base with recording hand setting key flanked by further S-scrolls. 106cm (45.75ins) high. Provenance: The Selwyn Demmy Collection. Joseph Sewill was born in Liverpool in 1816 and started up as a watchmaker, chronometer maker, and nautical instrument maker at 61 South Castle St, Liverpool in about 1848. Latterly Joseph went into partnership with two of his sons and is thought to have retired to London in 1862. His son, John Joshua Sewill (d. 1891) succeeded him and headed the business until his death in 1891, The firm was well regarded and opened branches in London (at 30 Cornhill prior to 1882), Glasgow and Locle (Switzerland). In 1867 a chronometer by Sewill won the Greenwich Trials and they became makers to the Admiralty. In the 1874 Greenwich Trials their chronometers came first and third. They also entered pieces into Kew trials, where a karrusel watch was awarded 81.8 marks in 1900. They won an award for 'services to horology' at the Paris Exhibition of 1862, and later became 'Maker to the Queen of Spain'. Condition Report: Tube is filled with no obvious airlocks, the float mechanism etc is intact and operational however will require setting-up/calibration. The dial/register is in fine condition with no visible faults and the setting hand mechanism is operational. The thermometer is in fine condition. The case is in fine condition with the only notable faults being some slight bubbling/lifting and bruising to the curved veneers lining the edges . Condition Report Disclaimer