Elias Allen
Encyclopedia
Elias Allen was an English maker of sundial
s and scientific instruments.
Allen was apprenticed to a London clockmaker in 1602, and after his master died established himself in a workshop beside St Clement Danes Church, the Strand. He made instruments for James I
and Charles I
, among others, and was associated with the mathematicians Edmund Gunter
and William Oughtred
. His apprentices included Ralph Greatorex
. He served from 19 January 1637 until 29 July 1638 as Master of the London Clockmakers' Company
. He died in March 1653, and was buried in St Clement Danes.
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
s and scientific instruments.
Allen was apprenticed to a London clockmaker in 1602, and after his master died established himself in a workshop beside St Clement Danes Church, the Strand. He made instruments for James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
and Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, among others, and was associated with the mathematicians Edmund Gunter
Edmund Gunter
Edmund Gunter , English mathematician, of Welsh descent, was born in Hertfordshire in 1581.He was educated at Westminster School, and in 1599 was elected a student of Christ Church, Oxford. He took orders, became a preacher in 1614, and in 1615 proceeded to the degree of bachelor in divinity...
and William Oughtred
William Oughtred
William Oughtred was an English mathematician.After John Napier invented logarithms, and Edmund Gunter created the logarithmic scales upon which slide rules are based, it was Oughtred who first used two such scales sliding by one another to perform direct multiplication and division; and he is...
. His apprentices included Ralph Greatorex
Ralph Greatorex
Ralph Greatorex , was a mathematical instrument maker. He was an apprentice of London clockmaker Elias Allen.Greatorex is mentioned in John Aubrey's Brief Lives as a great friend of William Oughtred the mathematician. He is also briefly referred to in Aubrey's 'Natural History of Wilts', and in the...
. He served from 19 January 1637 until 29 July 1638 as Master of the London Clockmakers' Company
Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Clockmakers were formed by a Royal Charter in 1631. Originally, no person was allowed to sell clocks unless they were a member of the Company. However, such requirements have since been relaxed and later...
. He died in March 1653, and was buried in St Clement Danes.
Further reading
- Allen, Elias (c.1588–1653), H. K. Higton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, online edn, Jan 2008
- Elias Allen (c.1588–1653), Elizabethan Instrument Makers, Gerard L'Estrange Turner, Oxford University Press, 2000, pp31-32
External links
- Archival record of 1638 letter from William Oughtred to Elias Allen (Janus Archive)
- Example of clock from Allen's workshop (Victoria and Albert Museum)
- Some account of the Worshipful company of clockmakers of the city of London (1881) (archive.org)