A rare Schmalcalder's Patent type prismatic compass, with a fascinating history, made in London by Troughton & Simms between c.1826 and 1876. The compass card is signed 'Troughton & Simms, London'. The leather case is signed by 'R. Lombe, 9th Regt' - this was Major Ralph Lombe, an officer in the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment, who fought in British colonial campaigns on the North West Frontier, in India, Afghanistan, and Burma during the late 19th century. (After the 1881 Childers army reforms, the 9th Regiment became the Norfolk Regiment).
A fine example of the work of one of the best maker's of the period, the compass is very much in the style of the early Schmalcalder's. With a hand-drawn green compass card, jewelled pivot, lacquered brass case and push-fit lid, prism and vane sights, and transit lock. The transit lock mechanism is the type usually only seen on the early Schmalcalder's - operated by a rotating lever on the side of the case. There is a folding prism on one side of the case and a folding sighting vane on the opposite side. The compass comes complete with its original fitted leather case and shoulder strap.
By the time Ralph Lombe was commissioned in 1876, this type of compass design had been abandoned by most makers, as more modern designs were being adopted. But Troughton & Simms are known to have still been producing this design as late as 1869. If, as seems likely, Ralph Lombe acquired this compass when he was commissioned, it must either have been made much earlier, or been one of the very last of the Schmalcalder types to be made. An almost identical Troughton & Simms compass can be seen in the collection of the Science Museum in London, which they date to between 1826-1876.
Major R. H. F. Lombe (1854-1930): Ralph Henry Fenwick Lombe was a British army officer, commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment in 1876. During a long and distinguished military career he served throughout the British Empire in some of the most significant wars, campaigns and other less well known colonial expeditions of the Victorian era. He was educated at Repton School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating in 1874, and then joining the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot in September 1876. From 1877-78 he served in the Jowaki Expedition on the North West Frontier - a punitive action against the Jowaki Afridi tribe, centred on a dispute about the Kohat Pass. After this, Ralph Lombe served in the Afghan War of 1879-80, the operations around Jugdulluk, the Relief of Sherpur, the affair at Saidabad, the Burmese Expedition of 1887-89, the operations in the Chin Hills, the Chin Lushai Expedition of 1889-90 (a campaign that began with the murder of a British officer who was ambushed by Burmese headhunters), and the Relief of Chitral in 1895. He was mentioned in despatches several times, and was promoted to Captain in July 1882, and then to Major in March 1892, before retiring from the army in 1897. He remained on the reserve of officers and served again during WW1, appointed as a temporary Lieutenant Colonel and commander of the Depot of the Norfolk Regiment in 1914.
During his army career Ralph Lombe seems to have had a keen interest in photography, taking and appearing in numerous excellent photographs of the Norfolk Regiment during their service in the colonial wars of the Victorian era. These photographs and other items are available to view at the website of the Norfolk Museums Collections at: https://www.museumscollections.norfolk.gov.uk/article/30241/Search-the-collections?searchTerm=Lombe&p=1
(Copies of documents and other information relating to Major Lombe's military service will be included with the compass)
Troughton & Simms: were scientific instrument business, formed when Edward Troughton (1756-1835) took on William Simms as a partner in 1826. Previously, Troughton had been a sole proprietor, and before that he was in partnership with his brother John. When John died, Edward took on Simms in 1826. Edward Troughton died in 1835. In 1876 Troughton & Simms supplied the Imperial Standards Of Length gauges mounted at Trafalgar Square in London. They became a limited company in 1915, and in 1922 merged with T. Cooke & Sons to form Cooke, Troughton & Simms. The firm produced a wide variety of scientific and astronomical instruments, such as compasses, transit circles, sextants, telescopes, and other instruments for observatories around the world.
Charles Augustus Schmalcalder (1781-1843) was one of the most significant figures in the development of the compass. His patent design of 1812, which introduced the idea of using an optical prism, combined with a sighting vane, to improve accuracy when taking bearings, is still in use today. Schmalcalder's innovation was a development of the work of Henry Kater. In 1811 Kater developed a design using a mirror and sighting vane. His design was then manufactured by Thomas Jones. Schmalcalder, who also knew Thomas Jones, is believed to have seen Kater's new compass at Jones' premises, and this gave him the idea for his own prismatic version. Schmalcalder moved swiftly to have prototypes of his own design made by Jones, which he then went on to patent. Winning the race to patent his innovation, Schmalcalder's compass completely eclipsed Kater's earlier design. Between 1812 and 1826 (when the patent expired) Schmalcalder's Patent compasses were manufactured by third party makers, like Thomas Jones, and sold from Schmalcalder's premises, first at 82 The Strand, London, and later from 399 The Strand, London. Schmalcalder continued in business until around 1840, with his design being used uncredited by many other makers, such as Francis Barker, Thomas Jones, and Troughton & Simms after the patent expired in 1826. No doubt as a result of this, Schmalcalder fell on hard times, dying in poverty in 1843 and being buried in the Strand Union Workhouse cemetery.
(Further information on Schmalcalder, Kater and the development of the early prismatic compass, can be found in Paul Crespel's book Trade Mark London, which is available to view as a PDF at the trademarklondon.com website).
Condition:
In very good condition, and full working order. The compass finds North very well. The glass, sighting vane, prism and compass card are in very good condition. There is some wear to the original lacquered finish of the base of the brass case. The fitted leather case is in good condition, with one panel of the lid missing. The leather case is signed in ink with the name 'R. Lombe, 9th Regt.'
Dimensions:
75mm diameter (95mm inc. prism), 20mm height
Leather case: 35mm x 80mm x 110mm
