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Marine history. John Harrison (April 3, 1693 – March 24, 1776) was a self-educated carpenter and clockmaker who revolutionised clockmaking and with it marine navigation, securing Britain’s hold on the high seas by allowing ships to determine their longitude at sea. The devices, known as sea clocks, drastically reduced the risk of ships and their crews, along with their precious cargoes, being lost at sea. The problem had been brought to a head following the 1707 Scilly naval disaster when four Royal Navy ships sunk off the Isles of Scilly in severe weather with the loss of between 1,400 and 2,000 sailors. By 1714 with no solution in sight Parliament offered rewards of up to £20,000 (equivalent to £3.09 million in 2019) under the 1714 Longitude Act. By 1730 Harrison presented his first design and over the ensuing years worked to improve them, gaining support from the Longitude Board in building and testing his designs. The clocks not only compensated for changes in temperature but, thanks to extensive anti-friction devices, ran without any lubrication. Toward the end of his life, he received recognition and a reward from Parliament. Harrison came 39th in the BBC’s 2002 public poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
