Ruth was a businesswoman from London. She, her mother Maria Elizabeth, and her father John Henry, sold people the time. This was done by setting a Belvilles' watch to Greenwich Mean Time, as shown by the Greenwich clock, each day and then "selling" people the time by letting them look at the watch and adjust theirs.[1]
Ruth Belville's father, John Henry Belville, created a service for 200 clients in 1836. Each morning, John Henry went to Greenwich Observatory, where he worked and set his watch to Greenwich Mean Time. He would then set off in his buggy and would set the clocks correctly for clients subscribed to the service.[2]
John Henry continued this service up until his death in 1856. His widow, Maria, was granted the privilege of carrying on the work as a means of livelihood and continued the business until her retirement in 1892 when she was in her eighties. Ruth Belville then took over the business.[3] She continued the business up until 1940.[1] Belville was in her eighties when she retired and at the age of 86 she was still able to journey about twelve miles from her home and attend at the Observatory by 9 am. She died at the age of 89.[3]
The watch used by the business was a John Arnold pocket chronometer No. 485/786, nicknamed "Arnold". It was originally made for the Duke of Sussex and had a gold case. When it was given to John Henry, he changed the case to silver because he was worried thieves might steal a gold watch. When Ruth died, the watch was left to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.[3]
↑ 1.01.1 "Green". QI. Season G.15. London, England. 26 March 2010. BBC. BBC One.
↑ Lienhard, John H. "No. 2070: TIME & RUTH BELVILLE". University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
↑ 3.03.13.2 Mendham, Trevor. "The Greenwich Time Lady". Horology Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCC-D85N : 4 September 2014), Elizabeth R Belville, 1943; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Surrey Mid Eastern, Surrey, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
↑ "England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W77J-M4W2 : 24 June 2019), Elizabeth Ruth Belville, 10 Feb 1945; citing Probate, Norwich, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm .
"England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK6B-8S4B : 11 December 2017), Ruth Belville in household of Maria E Belville, Greenwich, London,Kent, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 10, Piece/Folio 721/85, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,383.
"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X98S-6LP : 20 May 2019), Elizabeth R Belville, Charlton and Kidbrooke, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Charlton subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
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