Ellis & Isaac Chandlee

Ellis & Isaac Chandlee Compass

Ellis & Isaac Chandlee - What We Know

Isaac Chandlee was born in Nottingham on September 12, 1760, the son of Benjamin Chandlee, Junior. He died, unmarried, in Nottingham on December 10, 1813.

Isaac was a talented artisan - he made clocks and instruments of high quality. While Isaac's compasses compare very favorably with compasses made by others circa 1800, Isaac was destined to be overshadowed by his brother, Goldsmith.

I have a Vernier Compass dated 1801 made by Isaac (IC1 below) - it's a beautiful instrument.

Ellis Chandlee (1755-1816) also was apprenticed to his father, and he worked with his brothers in the shop. He established the firm of Ellis Chandlee & Brothers, in 1790, shortly before his father's death. The firm was dissolved in 1797 when the youngest brother, John Chandlee, left the firm. Ellis continued in partnership with his other brother, Isaac Chandlee (1760-1813), until about 1804, producing clocks, surveying instruments, and other metal articles. Their products were signed "Ellis and Isaac Chandlee, Nottingham," or, in the case of a surveying compass in the collection of the Chester County Historical Society, "E. & I. Chandlee, Nottingham." Isaac Chandlee also produced clocks and instruments under his own name only, for there are a number of surviving clocks and surveying compasses signed in such manner.

For more on Isaac, read the short chapter on him in the Six Quaker Clockmakers Book - The Isaac Chapter is Here.

E&I 1 - Very Nice Ellis & Isaac Compass featured in the Six Quaker Clockmakers Book.

E&I 2 - This is a 4 vane E&I compass, although the extra vanes appear to be later modifications. Sold at an auction in 2011 for $7500. Click on the pic above to see a small pic of the compass face. Click here to see a condition write-up included in the auction description.

E&I 3&4 - I've seen pics of several other E&I compasses but don't have permission yet to use them. Pls contact me if you have an E&I compass that isn't posted here. Thanks!

Chandlee Articles

Here are some helpful reference materials related to the Chandlee Family of Instrument Makers:

1. Chandlee - Six Quaker Clockmakers (1943).

2. American Backcountry Tall Clock - Goldsmith Chandlee - His Genius His Customers (2016) A must see article that focuses on clocks and compasses.

3. The American Surveyor (Dale Beeks) - George Washington's Gift (Oct 2005) (Story about the compass Goldsmith made for GW - The Lane Compass).

4. The Professional Surveyor (Dick Elgin) - On Goldsmith Chandlee (2001) A really good article on GC.

5. Smart - His notes on Goldsmith for his book.

6. Gaynor & McKnight - Goldsmith Chandlee's "American Manufacture" Compass - The Rittenhouse Journal Vol 2 #3 (1988)

7. Beeks - A Surveyor's Compass Made By Goldsmith Chandlee - The Rittenhouse Journal Vol 2 #3 (1988)

8. Bedini - Goldsmith Chandlee & George Graves Compasses - The Professional Surveyor (Nov 1984) - Relying on Smart, Bedini inaccurately describe the functions of GC's L - T Table.

9. Bedini - Goldsmith Chandlee's L - T Table - The Professional Surveyor (May 1985) Bedini discussed a different possible explanation of GC's L - T table. I believe that Dick Elgin came up with the right explanation in his article, #4 above.