The battle for the prize
Despite having done all that was asked, the board refused to accept his claim and requested another trial, William taking the watch on board ship to Barbados in 1764. This time the watch performed even better, predicting their arrival in Barbados with amazing accuracy and error of just 39.2 seconds over the 47 day voyage.The board still did not give in, stating that the internal workings of the watch must be disclosed, the four time keepers handed in and somebody recommended to make a copy of the H4 before half the prize money was given out.
Harrison finally received £10,000 in 1765 having recommended watchmaker Larcum Kendall. Before the second half of the prize was to be given, the board declared that at least two more copies of the watch were to be made and tested.
The K1 (Kendalls copy) was finished in 1769 and Harrison and his son worked on an H5 watch. Despite working perfectly, the board refused to accept the two watches as the copies they demanded, stating that both were to be made by the Harrisons.
The K1 was given to explorer Captain James Cook to trial on his three year voyage to the South Sea islands.
An Act of Parliament
At this point Harrison wrote a letter to King George III demanding justice and the H5 watch was trialled by the king himself in 1772. When the Board still refused to recognise the results, Harrison petitioned parliament and was finally awarded £8750 by Act of Parliament in 1773.
On Captain Cook’s return to England in 1775 he described the watch as ‘…our faithful guide through all the vicissitudes of climates’ and took the watch on subsequent voyages.
Harrison died aged 83 in 1776, just over a year later.
Although most people see him as the winner of the competition, John Harrison was never officially recognised by the board and as no other devices ever claimed the official prize, the Longitude Act was repealed in 1828.
This year marks the 300th anniversary since its launch.
Mr George's Museum Of Time, Haltwhistle 