Thomas Mudge

Thomas Mudge was the second son of Zachariah Mudge, headmaster and clergyman, and his wife, Mary Fox. He was born in Exeter, but when he was young, the family moved to Bideford, where his father became headmaster of the grammar school. Thomas attended the same school and, when 14 or 15, was sent to London to be apprenticed to George Graham, a clock and watch maker who had trained under Thomas Tompion. Graham’s business was situated in Water Lane, Fleet Street. When Mudge qualified as a watchmaker in 1738 he began to be employed by a number of important London retailers. Whilst making a most complicated equation watch for clockmaker John Ellicott, Mudge was discovered to be the actual maker of the watch and was subsequently directly commissioned to supply watches for Ferdinand VI of Spain. He is known to have made at least five watches for Ferdinand, including a watch that repeated the minutes as well as the quarters and hours.

In 1748 Mudge set himself up in business at 151 Fleet Street, and began to advertise for work as soon as his old master, George Graham, died in 1751. He rapidly acquired a reputation as one of England’s outstanding watchmakers. In 1753 he married Abigail Hopkins of Oxford, with whom he had two sons. By 1755, Mudge invented the detached lever escapement, which he first applied to a clock. It was later applied to pocket watches, and remains a feature in almost every mechanical pocket watch and wristwatch made since. In 1765 he published the book, Thoughts on the Means of Improving Watches, And more particularly those For the Use of the Sea.

In 1789 his wife, Abigail, died. Thomas Mudge died at the home of his elder son, Thomas, at Newington Butts, South London on 14 November 1794. He was buried at St Dunstan-in-the-West, Fleet Street.

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