Edward John Dent was one of the most significant English horologists of the nineteenth century. His chronometers achieved top placements at Greenwich Trials, his public commissions — notably the Great Clock of Westminster (“Big Ben”) — defined national time, and his regulators were employed in observatories across Europe. Dent combined craftsmanship with a scientific approach to precision, leaving a legacy that extended through his successors and the firm of E. Dent & Co.

Early Life and Apprenticeship

Dent was born on 19 August 1790 in London to John and Elizabeth Dent, and baptised at St Clement Danes in October 1790.[2] Apprenticed initially in 1804 to his grandfather John Wright Dent, a tallow-chandler, he was transferred in 1807 to his cousin Richard Rippon, a watchmaker.[3]

Formative Work, 1814–1829

By 1814, aged 24, Dent supplied a Standard Astronomical Clock to the Admiralty and produced chronometers for the Colonial Office’s African Expedition.[4] In 1829, his chronometer No. 114 won the First Premium at the Annual Greenwich Trials.[5]

Arnold & Dent, 1830–1840

In 1830 Dent partnered with John Roger Arnold as Arnold & Dent. Chronometer No. 633 sailed aboard HMS Beagle in 1831 with Charles Darwin on board.[7][8]

Independent Practice and Patents

From October 1840 Dent resumed under his own name, “E. J. Dent, London,” at 82 Strand. His 1842 patent (No. 9435) introduced improvements in balance compensation and remontoire mechanisms.[9]

Voyages and Exploration

Dent chronometers were used in multiple expeditions. David Livingstone purchased Chronometer No. 1800 in 1850.[10]

Public Commissions

• Royal Exchange (1844): Dent constructed the new clock and chimes.[11]
• Great Clock of Westminster (Big Ben): Commissioned 1852; Dent died 1853 before completion. Installed 1859.[12]
• International Exhibition (1862): Dent exhibited regulators and turret clocks.[13]
• St Pancras Station (1868 original, restored 2007): The monumental station clock bears the Dent name.[14]

Scientific Contributions

Dent experimented with glass balance springs (1833), pursued research into magnetism, and secured patents including the “Keyless” winding system (1846).[9][13]

Legacy and the Firm of E. J. Dent & Co.

Dent died on 8 March 1853. His stepson Frederick Dent continued the business as E. Dent & Co. In 1876 the triangular Dent trademark was adopted.[16] The company contributed to Greenwich Mean Time via the “six-pips” time signal.[17]

Selected Surviving Works in Collections

Work	Date	Collection	Link
Chronometer with glass balance spring	c.1835	Science Museum Group	View
Watch by E.J. Dent (No. 10215)	1851	British Museum	View
Astronomical Regulator (Dent 1906)	1871	Royal Museums Greenwich	View
Great Clock of Westminster mechanism	1859	Palace of Westminster	View
Royal Exchange Clock	1844	Royal Exchange, London	View

References

Primary Sources

1. British Patent No. 9435 (21 March 1842).
2. Greenwich Trials of Chronometers, Annual Reports.
3. Nature (1875). “The New Standard Sidereal Clock of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.”

Secondary Sources

1. Wikimedia Commons. “Edward John Dent Clockmaker.jpg.” commons.wikimedia.org.
2. Edward John Dent – Wikipedia entry. en.wikipedia.org.
3. Mercer, Vaudrey. The Life and Letters of Edward John Dent. Antiquarian Horological Society, 1977.
4. Dent London (official site): Historical overview. dentlondon1814.com.
5. Wikimedia Commons. “Arnold and Dent Pocket Watch.jpg.” commons.wikimedia.org.
6. FitzRoy, Robert; King, Phillip Parker. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages… London: Henry Colburn, 1839.
7. Darwin Correspondence Project. University of Cambridge.
8. Livingstone Online. University of Maryland & Wellcome Trust.
9. Royal Exchange, London. en.wikipedia.org.
10. Palace of Westminster. “Big Ben.” parliament.uk.
11. International Exhibition of 1862 – Jury Reports.
12. Wikimedia Commons. “St Pancras Station – Dent clock 2024-04-22.jpg.” commons.wikimedia.org.
13. Science Museum Group. “E. Dent & Co. Triangular Trademark, 1876.”
14. Royal Museums Greenwich. “The BBC Pips: Greenwich Time Service and Dent Regulators.”