Board of Longitude

E266373

The Board of Longitude was an 18th–19th century British government body established to encourage and reward practical methods for determining a ship’s longitude at sea, playing a key role in the development of modern navigation.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf British public board ⓘ
government body ⓘ
activity commissioned publication of the Nautical Almanac ⓘ
evaluated proposed methods for determining longitude ⓘ
funded development of astronomical methods for longitude ⓘ
funded development of marine timekeepers ⓘ
sponsored sea trials of navigational instruments ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Commissioners for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude
archivesHeldAt Cambridge University Library ⓘ
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich ⓘ
country Kingdom of Great Britain ⓘ
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ⓘ
dissolved 1828 ⓘ
field astronomy ⓘ
cartography ⓘ
horology ⓘ
navigation ⓘ
hasMember Astronomer Royal ⓘ
President of the Royal Society ⓘ
leading astronomers ⓘ
leading mathematicians ⓘ
senior government officials ⓘ
senior naval officers ⓘ
impact advanced precision navigation in the Age of Sail ⓘ
contributed to safer long‑distance sea travel ⓘ
strengthened British naval and commercial power ⓘ
inception 1714 ⓘ
jurisdiction British maritime navigation ⓘ
legalBasis Longitude Act 1714 ⓘ
linked to: Longitude Act
location London ⓘ
linked to: London, England
meetsAt Royal Greenwich Observatory ⓘ
Royal Society, London ⓘ
linked to: Royal Society
notableAssociatedPerson Charles Green ⓘ
George Airy ⓘ
linked to: Sir George Airy

James Cook ⓘ
John Harrison ⓘ
Larcum Kendall ⓘ
Nevil Maskelyne ⓘ
Thomas Mudge ⓘ
Tobias Mayer ⓘ
William Wales ⓘ
notableWork support for John Harrison’s marine chronometers ⓘ
support for lunar distance method of longitude ⓘ
offersPrize longitude reward of £10,000 for accuracy within one degree ⓘ
longitude reward of £15,000 for accuracy within two‑thirds of a degree ⓘ
longitude reward of £20,000 for accuracy within half a degree ⓘ
purpose to administer rewards and prizes for longitude solutions ⓘ
to encourage practical methods for determining longitude at sea ⓘ
replacedBy Admiralty Hydrographic Office ⓘ
timePeriod 18th century ⓘ
19th century ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (19)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Secretary of the Board of Longitude → partOf → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Secretary of the Board of Longitude → employer → Board of Longitude ⓘ
William Wales → employer → Board of Longitude ⓘ
William Wales → affiliation → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Larcum Kendall K1 chronometer → commissionedBy → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Larcum Kendall K1 chronometer → recognizedBy → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Board of Longitude → alsoKnownAs → Commissioners for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude
Nevil Maskelyne → employer → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Longitude → coversEvent → Board of Longitude prize competition ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude
Longitude → portrays → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Larcum Kendall → commissionedBy → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Longitude Act → longTitle → An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude
Longitude Act → establishedBody → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Longitude Act → createdInstitution → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Longitude Act → administeredBy → Board of Longitude ⓘ
Longitude Act → relatedTo → Board of Longitude ⓘ
K1 → commissionedBy → British Board of Longitude ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude
Thomas Mudge → awardReceived → Board of Longitude rewards ⓘ
linked to: Board of Longitude