A Newton & Co. hunter cased pocket compass, dating from c.1865. The compass card is an exceptionally rare design, known as the 'Rob Roy Canoe Pattern', which appeared in the 1871 edition of the Royal Geographical Society publication Hints To Travellers. The unusual name relates to the Victorian adventurer John 'Rob Roy' McGregor who was one of the very earliest canoeists, best known for his epic 1,000 mile journey across europe in 1865 in his self-designed 'Rob Roy' canoe. It is not known whether the compass was designed by McGregor, or just made for him and other pioneering Victorian canoeists, including the many enthusiasts who bought his best-selling book A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Twenty Lakes and Rivers of Europe (1866). The mother of pearl dial would certainly have been more water resistant than paper or card types, making it suitable for use on board a canoe or kayak.
With a brass hunter case, flat glass, hand-painted Mother of Pearl compass card signed 'Newton & Co, 3 Fleet Street, London', jewelled pivot, and transit lock. The underside of the glass is marked in red with the four cardinal points. The brass case would originally have had a 'bronzed' finish - much of this has worn away from the exterior, but is still present on the interior of the lid.
This compass was described and illustrated in the 1871 edition of the RGS expedition handbook Hints to Travellers, but there was no mention of it all the 1876 edition - suggesting that it was only made for a relatively short period, between c.1865-1875. The more successful 'RGS' type design appeared in both editions and went on to be produced until the early 20th century, while the 'Rob Roy pattern' disappeared almost without trace. It seems likely that very few 'Rob Roy' compasses were made. The style of the case and the red markings to the underside of the glass are identical to compasses made by Francis Barker around this time, and it is quite possible that the 'Rob Roy' was made for Newton by Barker. Barker's compasses were often supplied to retailers without any maker's marks, with the retailer then signing them and selling them on as their own products. Further details of this unique compass design can be found on page 9 of Kornelia Takacs book Compass Chronicles (Schiffer, 2010).
John 'Rob Roy' McGregor (1825-1892) nicknamed ‘Rob Roy’ after the Scottish outlaw and folk hero, to whom he was distantly related, was a Scottish barrister, adventurer, and philanthropist - his travels, books, and lecture tours were all devoted to raising funds for various charitable causes. At Trinity College, Dublin, McGregor read mathematics and was an active oarsman, going on to study patent law and being called to the bar in 1851. During this time McGregor developed a love of boating and in 1848 he became interested in canoeing when he saw the india rubber boat of Archibald Smith. Over the following years he travelled widely, partly in his capacity as an officer in the British Army Reserve. When he was invalided out of the army in 1865 following an accident, he decided to design and commission a canoe to further his explorations and adventures. He approached Searles of Lambeth, who specialised in lightweight clinker built rowing skiffs, and commissioned a design, inspired by Inuit (Eskimo) kayaks, but with sailing capabilities. The Rob Roy Canoe Mark I was 15 ft long (a length determined by the need to fit in a German railway wagon), with a beam of 28 inches and a draft of 3 inches. With a 9 ft long flat bladed paddle, it was also equipped with a mast, lug and jib sail rig. Built of oak planks on oak frames, and with a cedar deck it weighed 80 pounds.
Equipped with this craft McGregor set off in 1865 to explore the rivers of Europe, travelling between sections of river by railway, river steamer, and at times ox cart, as well as sections of portage by hand. He covered over 1,000 miles in his characteristic paddling outfit of flannel jacket, matching trousers, canvas shoes, all topped off with a straw boater. Returning from his travels McGregor wrote his first book A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Twenty Lakes and Rivers of Europe (1866). The book was an instant success and had to be reprinted several times in its first year. The enthusiasm that followed the book and his lectures led McGregor to found The Canoe Club in 1866, its members including various distinguished oarsmen, travellers, alpine climbers and athletes. The Prince of Wales soon became the first Commodore. Canoeing did not meet with universal acclaim however, with some describing it as “a mockery of boating” and “the invention of savages”.
McGregor set off again in 1866, in a shorter, lighter, Mark II version, to tour the rivers and lakes of Scandinavia. By this stage canoeing had caught the popular imagination and some 200 Rob Roy canoes had been built and sold. For his next voyage McGregor decided he did not want to be dependent on paddling. His next design, the Rob Roy Yawl, 21 ft long with a 7 ft beam, was a proper sailing craft, and featured provision for cooking and sleeping aboard. In this craft he sailed across the English Channel and was then towed up to Paris for the 1867 Expédition Universelle. For his 1869 expedition McGregor paddled down the uncompleted Suez Canal, before returning to Port Said, crossing to Beirut, navigating the rivers of Syria, and then travelling down the Jordan. Highlights of this trip involved portages past rapids and being chased and captured by spear-wielding locals. Later years saw paddling trips along the south coast of England (1870), and the coast and canals of Holland (1871). In 1873 McGregor married and gave up canoeing, though he continued his lecture tours. John McGregor died in 1892, and is all but forgotten today, despite having been a great Victorian adventurer and the pioneer of the modern sport of canoeing.
Newton & Co: were reputed to be the oldest firm of scientific instrument makers in the world, founded c.1704. The exact date the company was established is not known, but John Newton (a cousin of Sir Isaac Newton) was the head of the firm in October 1704. Located at 128 Chancery Lane, John Newton was a globe maker. The firm went through a long and quite complicated series of partnerships involving various family members, operating as patent agents, publishers, land surveyors, and civil engineers, alongside the main globe making business. In 1851, optical engineer Frederick Newton went into partnership with his distant cousin William Edward Newton, a civil engineer, patent agent, and heir to the established globe-making side of the family. Frederick brought in skills as a lens-maker, and the partners produced microscopes, telescopes, cameras, and other apparatus.
In 1851 W. E. & F. Newton exhibited microscopes, telescopes, opera glasses, and globes at that year’s International Exposition in London. Newton & Son also exhibited the globes that had long been the family’s main products. W. E. & F. Newton were then located at 3 Fleet Street, while Newton & Son were at 66 Chancery Lane. There were no clear distinctions between the two businesses, as William Edward Newton was co-owner of both businesses. In the same year, W. E. & F. Newton secured an appointment to Prince Albert, and also became opticians and globe-makers for Queen Victoria. The partners separated toward the end of 1856, with Frederick continuing the optical business in Fleet Street as Newton & Co. The use of the name 'Newton & Co.' from 1857 onwards probably indicates continued financial involvement by William and his family. William Edward Newton returned to the family globe and patent business.
Newton & Co. exhibited at the 1862 London Exhibition, displaying “Mathematical, surveying, and philosophical instruments, &c”. They also produced microscopes and several different types of magic lantern - which became one of their main products. By the 1880s Newton & Co. had largely dropped their microscope lines, concentrating instead on magic lanterns and photographic equipment. William Edward Newton died in 1879, and was succeeded in business by his son Henry, who continued the Newton & Son business at 66 Chancery Lane. Frederick Newton died in 1909. Frederick's only son, Herbert Charles Newton, continued the Newton & Co. business in partnership with R. S. Wright. The business moved to 37 King Street, Covent Garden, in 1912. In 1914 they were described as 'Opticians and manufacturers of scientific and electrical instruments. Specialities: optical lanterns and slides' with 'Royal Warrants to His late Majesty King Edward and H.M. King George V. Makers of scientific instruments, etc., to the Admiralty, War Department, H. M. Training Ships, Indian and Foreign Governments, Board of Education, South Kensington, etc'. The partnership dissolved in 1920, with each partner continuing a seperate business named Newton & Co. H. C. Newton continued at 37 King Street until 1926, when he moved to 43 Museum Street. His shop finally closed in 1937, a few years before his death. R. S. Wright's version of Newton & Co. was located at 71 or 72 Wigmore Street until 1953.
Condition:
In very good condition and full working order. The brass case is in very good condition, with some minor signs of wear. The original bronzed finish has mostly worn off the exterior, but is very well preserved on the interior of the lid. The lid opens and closes well. The mother of pearl compass card, jewelled pivot, and glass are all in very good condition. The transit lock is working well.
Dimensions : 43mm (65mm including loop)
