Inventors · 1639 – 1713
Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion (1639–1713) is called the father of English clockmaking. He built precision clocks for the new Royal Observatory at Greenwich and for King William III, and turned London into the world's leading center of clock and watchmaking.
Key facts
| Lived | 1639 – 1713 |
|---|---|
| Where | London, England |
| Known for | Royal Observatory clocks (1676), royal commissions |
| Buried | Westminster Abbey |
| Apprentice and partner | George Graham |
From blacksmith's son to royal clockmaker
Tompion was born in Bedfordshire, the son of a blacksmith, and by the 1670s was working in London. His big break came through the scientist Robert Hooke, who chose him to make instruments and watches. In 1676 he built two remarkable clocks for John Flamsteed at the new Royal Observatory in Greenwich. They ran for a year on a single winding and helped prove that the Earth spins at a steady rate.
His workshop on Fleet Street produced thousands of numbered clocks and watches. He was one of the first to number his work in sequence, and his quality became the standard every English maker was measured against.
An honor usually saved for kings
Tompion took his apprentice George Graham into partnership and married him into the family. When Tompion died in 1713 he was buried in Westminster Abbey; when Graham died in 1751 he was laid in the same tomb. Few craftsmen have ever been given that honor.
Read more: The mechanical clock (history chapter) · the full story of the watchmakers
Questions people ask
Why is Thomas Tompion famous?
He made the clocks for the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, worked for King William III, and set the standard for English clock and watchmaking.
Where is Thomas Tompion buried?
Westminster Abbey in London, in the same tomb as his partner George Graham.
Sources
Last updated October 18, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.