Lieut Thomas Henry Hubert HAND [9511]

  General Notes:

Thomas was a midshipman in Portsmouth in 1870, he is recorded as arriving in Sydney NSW on 2 Jun 1886 on HMS Derwent from London. Also on 18 Jul 1887.

At his marriage he is recorded as a Lieut RN, single, living in Blackheath, son of Henry Hand RN deceased.

  Research Notes:

Images of Thomas's telescopes courtesy National Maritime Museum http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/43774.html
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/43776.html http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/43777.html

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1871, Clarence Pl Portsea HAM. Thomas is recorded as a son aged 1 born Southsea HAM

2. Thomas's Naval Telescopes: Courtesy National Maritime Museum. These two telescopes may have been inherited by Thomas from his naval ancestors. They confirm the family crest & motto.

Telescope image 1
The tapered barrel of this achromatic telescope is covered with whitened canvas, decorated at each end with finely plaited ropework. The telescope has a single draw tube made of silvered brass. The fittings, also of silvered brass, include an objective lens cap, a pivoted eyepiece cover and a sliding sunshade.
This type of telescope was commonly used on the deck of a ship. This example is one of a group of telescopes (with NAV 1563, NAV 1564, NAV 1565) that belonged to one T.H. Hand, whose name is engraved on the eyepiece of this telescope. The maker's name is engraved on the draw tube as 'Dollond / London', as is an emblem of an arm with a sword in its hand above the motto 'Dextra me vibrat' ('Brandished in my right hand') the Hand family motto.

Image 1 The Hand family crest & motto

Telescope Tube image 2
This draw tube from a hand-held telescope is made of silvered brass. It is inscribed with the words 'Day or Night', indicating that it was to be used for all sorts of observations at sea.
The draw tube is one of a group of telescopes (with NAV1562, NAV1564, NAV1565) that belonged to a T.H. Hand, and was probably to be used as an alternative draw tube to the one in NAV1564, when using the telescope in poor light conditions. The maker's name is engraved on the draw tube as 'Dollond London', as is an emblem of an arm with a sword in its hand above the motto 'Dextra me vibrat' ('Brandished in my right hand').

Image 2 The telescopes maker.

Telescope image 3
This achromatic telescope has a leather-covered barrel and a single silvered-brass draw tube. The other fittings are also silvered brass and include a pivoted eyepiece cover, an objective lens cap and a sliding sunshade. Unusually for a telescope of this date, there is no mechanical stop on the draw tube, which may be pulled freely out of the barrel. There is, however, a stop line engraved on the draw tube to indicate the optimum working length of the telescope.
The words 'Achromatic Night' are also engraved on the draw tube, indicating the telescope has been designed for use in poor light conditions. It has a relatively large objective lens to collect as much light as possible when viewing at night.
The telescope is one of a group of telescopes (with NAV1562, NAV1563, NAV1564) that belonged to a T.H. Hand. The maker's name is engraved on the draw tube as 'Dollond London', as is an emblem of an arm with a sword in its hand above the motto 'Dextra me vibrat' ('Brandished in my right hand').

Thomas married Christine Gertrude ROBINSON [10184] [MRIN: 3289], daughter of Dr William ROBINSON [10185] and Unknown, on 2 Apr 1900 in St George Bloomsbury. (Christine Gertrude ROBINSON [10184] was born in 1872 in London and died 1st Qtr 1962 in Gosport HAM.)