CHARLES ORME, ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH, DATED 1741

Sir Nicholas Goodison noted: 'This is probably the rarest of Orme's innovative angle barometers. The triple tubes enable the rise and fall of the mercury to be recorded over 60" instead of the customary 3" of a stick barometer. For the origins of the idea of an angle barometer and Orme's exploitation of it, see Goodison (loc. cit.), 1977, pp. 22-3 and pp. 192-3. Orme made similar barometers with one or with two tubes. Orme owes his eminence to his successful exploitation of the angle tube principle. Several angle barometers signed by him survive and I have yet to see any other type bearing his signature.'

Although there is no known information as to where Orme acquired his barometer cases the brass inlay and mouldings are in the manner of the celebrated London cabinet-maker John Channon (Gilbert and Murdoch, loc. cit.).