The woman who sold time – and the man who tried to stop her
4 days ago
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- #history
- #timekeeping
- The Belville family sold accurate time from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich for over a century, starting in 1836.
- Ruth Belville, the last of the family time sellers, continued the business until her death in 1943.
- Competitor St John Wynne tried to undermine the Belville business but ended up boosting their popularity.
- The Belville method involved setting a trusted watch (John Arnold) at the Observatory and selling the time to clients.
- Wynne criticized the Belville system as outdated, but media attention made Ruth's service fashionable.
- Ruth Belville was known as the 'Greenwich Time Lady' and featured in publications like Tatler and the Evening News.
- The Belville business ended during WWII when Ruth, aged 86, could no longer safely travel.
- Ruth bequeathed the John Arnold watch to the Clockmakers' Company museum upon her death.