Property from a Savannah, GA Estate

Description:

Rare William Hart (1734-1812) Backstaff or Davis Quadrant, Portsmouth, NH, 1763, the backstaff or Davis quadrant was used to observe the altitude of the sun at sea and was an important navigational instrument, curiously this was not made for a ship captain but for William Parker a Supreme Court Judge, this one probably mahogany and boxwood, the large arc divided from 0-25 degrees and on the higher lattice scale between 65-90 degrees, the smaller arc 0-60 degrees, the frame with some decoration on the large arc, with inlaid plaque inscribed 'Made by William Hart in Portsmouth NE, for William Parker, 1763'. William Parker (1703-1781) was an attorney and judge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was admitted to the bar in 1732, and practiced law in Portsmouth. He was later appointed surrogate judge of the admiralty, and in 1771, he was appointed to the superior court of judicature for the province of New Hampshire. William Parker also served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1765 to 1774. In 1763, he received an honorary A.M. from Harvard College.

Measurements: Height: 24 1/2 in. x Width: 14 1/4 in. x Depth: 5 in.

Condition:

Fair condition, loss to end of large arc, age crack to wood of small arc, other age cracks, wear to edges, light scratches, repair to detachable piece.

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