This month’s Antique of the Month from the Historic Johanna Brotch House is a another piece of British maritime history. It is a solid brass ship’s magnetic compass. However, this compass could have been for a schooner, such as the Sassacus and/or Arctic once owned by Johanna and captained by her husband, John Brotch. It could also have been in a lifeboat from aboard a large steamship, a large sail or steam yacht, or even a tugboat. It has two mounting holes (front and back) on the base, so it could have been on the top of a binnacle (large wooden circular base, about 4.5 feet tall). However, the brass carrying ring at top indicates it was also portable. It has an interesting heritage.

It was just a basic compass, however, the clue it was maritime comes from the way the compass itself is mounted on a gimble inside the brass exterior housing, allowing the compass rose seen through the front glass viewing port to remain level during stormy seas. Also, the only way it was lit at night was by candle or miniature kerosene lamp (with a variable wick and flame) placed in the rectangular box area affixed to the side of the brass housing. There is a glass window between the compass and the lamp, allowing the light from the candle or lamp to illuminate the compass rose, that is then viewed from the large circular window at the front.

This particular ship’s compass is marked, “B. Cooke,” at one side of the top and “Hull” on the other. B. Cooke stands for “B. Cooke & Son, Ltd.,” and “Hull” stands for Hull, Yorkshire, England, one of the nation’s famous ports dating back to Medieval times. Amazingly, the company is still operating today in Hull.

According to its website, the company was founded in 1863 by Barnard Cooke who was an optician and was the younger brother of Thomas Cooke, a famous clock and telescope maker in England. Barnard Cooke sold the company in 1882 to an unknown owner who apparently retained the name B. “Cooke & Son, Ltd.” Then, in 1918 this company was sold to Henry Browne & Son, Ltd. who also retained the “Cooke & Son, Ltd.” name. Somehow in all these resales of the company, it appears the Cooke family retained some connection. However, it was Henry Browne & Son, Ltd., that created and owned the “Sestrel” trademark that appears on this particular compass. So…since both “B. Cooke” and the Sestrel trademark appear, it is likely that this compass was made sometime after 1918, based on this aforementioned history. Here is the link to the website of the modern-day “B. Cooke & Son” nautical instrument company, still operating in Hull. It contains a photo of Barnard Cooke as well as a photo of its store in 1933 in Hull: https://www.bcookeandson.co.uk/about/history

This compass is currently on my fireplace mantle in the front parlor of the Historic Johanna Brotch House.