Charles Frodsham
Charles Frodsham (15 April 1810 - 11 January 1871) was a distinguished English horologist, establishing the firm of Charles Frodsham & Co, which remains in existence as the longest continuously trading firm of chronometer manufacturers in the world. In January 2018, the firm launched a new chronometer wristwatch, after sixteen years in development. It is the first watch to use the George Daniels double-impulse escapement. Frodsham was educated at the Bluecoat School, Newgate, London and then apprenticed to his father William James Frodsham, a respected chronometer maker and co-founder of Parkinson & Frodsham. Charles showed early promise with two chronometers submitted to the 1830 Premium Trials at Greenwich, one of which was awarded 2nd prize. Nine further chronometers by Charles were entered to the Premium trials until they ceased in 1836. Soon after marrying Elizabeth Mill (1813-1879), Frodsham founded his own business at No. 7 Finsbury Pavement. He rapidly established himself as a leading London chronometer maker. With the death of another major chronometer maker, John Roger Arnold (son of the eminent John Arnold), Charles acquired the Arnold business in 1843, moving his family and business address to 84 Strand, London. Trading as ‘Arnold & Frodsham, Chronometer Makers’ continued till 1858. Charles Frodsham was a prolific and highly regarded horological writer, publishing numerous articles on the discipline. He corresponded with George Biddell Airy, Astronomer Royal, over many years, much of which correspondence is preserved at Cambridge University Library, covering topics such as middle temperature error, quick trains as advocated by Thomas Earnshaw, Greenwich Mean Time and Airy’s remontoire. In 1871, Frodsham published The History of the Marine Chronometer, the first English language treatment of the subject.
