Andrew James
SunInfo is sad to have to report the untimely death in October 2019 of an experienced, accomplished and well liked British diallist, Andrew James FRSA HonMBHI.
Born in
Somerset, Andrew learnt from his father, before he went to school,
that skilled hands could, with simple tools, transform raw materials
into useful and beautiful objects.
After studying both Natural Sciences and
Computer Science at Cambridge, he joined the Computing Development
Department of the Central Electricity Generating Board and was soon
given the task of creating software for a revolutionary new meter –
the precursor of today’s smart meters. He later spent 25 years as
chief scientist for a meter manufacturer.
While never his career, horology always remained his true passion
and from 2000 to 2016 he chaired the Wessex BHI Branch. Later he was
elected to be the
Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. He
was installed at a special ceremony at Panter-Stainers’ Hall,
London, followed by a Thanksgiving Service at St James Garlickhythe
Church.
Andrew combined a love of calligraphy and
carved lettering with a strong interest in sundials, and with an
interest in accurate assessments of the Equation of Time and, for
the BSS Registrar, an
invaluable interest in resolving the several uncertainties of dial
recording not least the resolution of the long standing problem of
whether or not there was a dial in Woolfardisworthy in Devon. After
successive searches by BSS Members over several years had (almost
alternately) found the dial or reported its loss, it was Andrew who
discovered that almost unbelievably to mere mortals, there are two
villages in Devon called Woolfardisworthy one with a dial and one
without!
The Society benefitted from yet another of
Andrew’s hidden skills when he generated the then new index of
Bulletin Articles. Later he won one of the Society’s prizes for
sundial design and construction.
Andrew will certainly be remembered as one of
those few people who left this world better than he found it.
He will be sorely missed.