Twenty

[stuey]

Is the number for today. Minus 20 with the wind-chill, and about 20cm of snow so far. Not a huge storm, but enough to make things "interesting". I don't think I'll be crossing the field later on this afternoon...I know, I know: I'm quite nesh:)

[Zacs-Master]

Wise words Stuey. I must drink more beer.

[askyourgran]

Just a little info a distant relative of mine called Peter Litherland 1756/1805 was a watchmaker and inventor. He patented the rack lever escapement for watches which is said to be more accurate that the void movement. One of his watches is on display at the World Museum in Liverpool, and a blue plaque where he resided.

[stuey]

What is the "average" strength of beer over there? Here, it's 5.5% to 6%: this Red Bull is 7.1%...Cheers.

[stuey]

That is really interesting, askyourgran. I've just made a note to look him up tomorrow. Thanks.

[Zacs-Master]

About 4.5 I'd say Stuey.
AYG....I used to work with someone called Litherland.

[askyourgran]

Where at Zacs?

[Zacs-Master]

Manchester. He was a QS.

[stuey]

In fact, I just went to a site I belong to and typed in his name. This is just one of many responses: Default What Can You Tell Me about this Watch Maker (RE: Frank Menez)

If this is a rack-lever it is probably somewhat older; the supply of these escapements (made, I believe, solely by the patentee Peter Litherland and his successors in title) seems to have dried up in the middle 1820s. (Has anyone seen a demonstrably later one?)

[askyourgran]

There was another inventor in the family John Litherland from Altrincham, a pneumatic tyre manufacturer who patented three separate improvements to tyres and valves for pneumatic tyres and velocipedes in 1897.

Zac what is a QS? I have quite a lot of history on the family name mostly from the Yorkshire side, a few from Cheshire and Leicester, I haven't heard of the one you mentioned.

[stuey]

Here's another mention of him: As far as the possible date of 1821, the following quote from that site means that 1821 MIGHT be the date of manufacture; "Originally devised by the 75-year-old Abb� Jean Hautefeuille in 1722, the rack-lever was revived and patented by Peter Litherland of Liverpool in 1791 and was largely exploited by his fellow-townsmen (notably the firms of Tobias and Roskell as well as Litherland's own company) between then and 1825, after which it rather abruptly disappeared."

[askyourgran]

I had the brief history of him living in Warrington and moving to Liverpool which was the centre of the watchmaking industry at the time. A Robert Roskell - watchmaker advertised his timepieces and said he used the Peter Litherland rack-lever escapement invention in all his watches. Peter died in 1805 so probably there were improvements since then.

[stuey]

Maybe Zacs meant QC: Queens Counsel...Just guessing.

[askyourgran]

Hmmm probably right stuey, it was the 'S' I couldn't think of.

Obviously the watchmaker had sons to follow the trade if it carried on to 1825. I didn't investigate that far. Thanks for the info.

Goodnight.

[Zacs-Master]

AYG.....
Quantity Surveyor.

[askyourgran]

Thanks Zacs, he wasn't in court then oh well!