Rupert Gould
Encyclopedia
Rupert Thomas Gould was a Lieutenant Commander
in the British Royal Navy
noted for his contributions to horology
(the science and study of timekeeping devices).
, near Portsmouth
, where his father, William Monk Gould
, was a music teacher, organist, and composer. From 15 January 1906 on, he attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne, and then the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, being part of the Greynville term, and by Easter 1907 examinations placed him at the top of his class. He became a midshipman
, and thereby a naval officer, on 15 May 1907. He initially served on HMS Formidable
and HMS Queen
(under Captain David Beatty
) in the Mediterranean. Subsequently he was posted to China
(first aboard HMS Kinsha and then HMS Bramble). He chose the "navigation
" career track and, after qualifying as a navigation officer, served on HMS King George V
, and HMS Achates until the outbreak of World War I
, at which time he suffered a nervous breakdown and went on medical leave. During his recuperation, he was stationed at the Hydrographer's Department at the Admiralty, where he became an expert on various aspects of naval history, cartography, and expeditions into the polar regions. In 1919 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander (retired).
On 9 June 1917 he married Muriel Estall. That marriage ended by judicial separation in November 1927. They had two children, Cecil
(born in 1918) and Jocelyne (born in 1920). His last years were spent at Barford St Martin
near Salisbury, where he used his horological skills to repair and restore the defunct clock in the church tower.
s of John Harrison
, and this work was completed in 1933. The actor Jeremy Irons
played him in Longitude
, a dramatisation of Dava Sobel's
book Longitude
: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, which recounted in part Gould's work in restoring the chronometers.
His horological book, "The Marine Chronometer, Its History and Development", was first published in 1923 by J.D. Potter and was the first scholarly monograph on the subject. It was generally considered the authoritative text on marine timekeepers for at least half a century.
In spite of two more nervous breakdowns, Gould had many other interests and activities. In addition, he wrote and published an eclectic series of books on topics ranging from horology to the Loch Ness Monster
. He was a science educator, giving a series of talks for the BBC
's Children's Hour
starting in January 1934 under the name "The Stargazer", and these collected talks were later published. He was a member of the BBC
radio panel Brains Trust
. He umpired tennis matches on the Centre Court
at Wimbledon
on many occasions during the 1930s.
Spurred by the arrival of the Loch Ness Monster
in the media news and his previous work on the Sea Serpent
, Gould spent some days at Loch Ness travelling around it by motorcycle. He interviewed many witnesses and collated evidence for the creature that resulted in the first major work on the phenomenon, entitled "The Loch Ness Monster and Others". After this, Gould became the de facto spokesman on the subject, being a regular contributor to radio shows and newspaper articles.
In 1947 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Horological Institute
, its highest honour for contributions to horology.
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
noted for his contributions to horology
Horology
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
(the science and study of timekeeping devices).
Life
Gould grew up in SouthseaSouthsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, near Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, where his father, William Monk Gould
William Monk Gould
William Monk Gould, was a British composer of light music: his popular song The Curfew was particularly well-known....
, was a music teacher, organist, and composer. From 15 January 1906 on, he attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne, and then the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, being part of the Greynville term, and by Easter 1907 examinations placed him at the top of his class. He became a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, and thereby a naval officer, on 15 May 1907. He initially served on HMS Formidable
HMS Formidable (1898)
HMS Formidable —the third of four ships of that name to serve in the Royal Navy—was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships. She was the second British battleship to be sunk by enemy action during the First World War...
and HMS Queen
HMS Queen (1902)
HMS Queen was a London or Queen class battleship, a sub-class of the Formidable class battleships of the British Royal Navy, and the tenth Royal Navy ship to bear the name.-Construction and design:...
(under Captain David Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
) in the Mediterranean. Subsequently he was posted to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(first aboard HMS Kinsha and then HMS Bramble). He chose the "navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
" career track and, after qualifying as a navigation officer, served on HMS King George V
HMS King George V (1911)
The first HMS King George V was a King George V-class of 1911 dreadnought, with a displacement of 23,400 tonnes and an armament of ten 13.5 inch guns in twin gun turrets and a secondary armament of sixteen 4 inch guns and had a crew complement of 870, though this increased...
, and HMS Achates until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, at which time he suffered a nervous breakdown and went on medical leave. During his recuperation, he was stationed at the Hydrographer's Department at the Admiralty, where he became an expert on various aspects of naval history, cartography, and expeditions into the polar regions. In 1919 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander (retired).
On 9 June 1917 he married Muriel Estall. That marriage ended by judicial separation in November 1927. They had two children, Cecil
Cecil Gould
Cecil Hilton Monk Gould was a British art historian and curator who specialised in Renaissance painting. He was a former Keeper and Deputy Director of the National Gallery in London.-Life:...
(born in 1918) and Jocelyne (born in 1920). His last years were spent at Barford St Martin
Barford St Martin
Barford St Martin, a Wiltshire village with 467 adult residents, is situated about two miles from Wilton, on the junction of the A30 and the B3089. Barford is known as one of the Nadder Valley villages, named for the River Nadder which flows through the village.-History:The history of Barford can...
near Salisbury, where he used his horological skills to repair and restore the defunct clock in the church tower.
Work
He gained permission in 1920 to restore the marine chronometerMarine chronometer
A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...
s of John Harrison
John Harrison
John Harrison was a self-educated English clockmaker. He invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought device in solving the problem of establishing the East-West position or longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel in the Age...
, and this work was completed in 1933. The actor Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
played him in Longitude
Longitude (TV serial)
Longitude is a 2000 TV drama produced by Granada Productions and the A&E Network for Channel 4, first broadcast in 2000 in the UK on Channel 4 and the US on A&E. It is an adaptation of the 1997 book of the same title by Dava Sobel...
, a dramatisation of Dava Sobel's
Dava Sobel
Dava Sobel is a writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and Binghamton University...
book Longitude
Longitude (book)
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time is a best-selling book by Dava Sobel about John Harrison, an 18th century clockmaker who created the first clock sufficiently accurate to be used to determine longitude at sea—an important development...
: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, which recounted in part Gould's work in restoring the chronometers.
His horological book, "The Marine Chronometer, Its History and Development", was first published in 1923 by J.D. Potter and was the first scholarly monograph on the subject. It was generally considered the authoritative text on marine timekeepers for at least half a century.
In spite of two more nervous breakdowns, Gould had many other interests and activities. In addition, he wrote and published an eclectic series of books on topics ranging from horology to the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. He was a science educator, giving a series of talks for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
starting in January 1934 under the name "The Stargazer", and these collected talks were later published. He was a member of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio panel Brains Trust
The Brains Trust
The Brains Trust was a popular informational BBC radio and later television programme in the United Kingdom during the 1940s and 50s.- History :...
. He umpired tennis matches on the Centre Court
Centre Court
Centre Court is the main court at the Wimbledon Championship, the 3rd annual Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar. It is situated adjacent to Aorangi Terrace and is home to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Its only regular use is for the two weeks a year that the Championships take...
at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
on many occasions during the 1930s.
Spurred by the arrival of the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
in the media news and his previous work on the Sea Serpent
Sea serpent
A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
, Gould spent some days at Loch Ness travelling around it by motorcycle. He interviewed many witnesses and collated evidence for the creature that resulted in the first major work on the phenomenon, entitled "The Loch Ness Monster and Others". After this, Gould became the de facto spokesman on the subject, being a regular contributor to radio shows and newspaper articles.
In 1947 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Horological Institute
British Horological Institute
The British Horological Institute is the representative body of the horological industry in the United Kingdom.-History:...
, its highest honour for contributions to horology.