Charles Frodsham, a distinguished English horologist was born in April 1810 in Bloomsbury, London, England. He attended the Bluecoat School in Newgate, London, before becoming an apprentice to his father, William James Frodsham FRS, a well-known chronometer manufacturer and co-founder of Parkinson & Frodsham.
With two chronometers entered in the 1830 Premium Trials at Greenwich, one of which was given second place, Charles showed early promise. The Premium testing continued until 1836, when Charles entered nine more chronometers.
He established his own company at No. 7 Finsbury Pavement shortly after marrying Elizabeth Mill. He quickly rose to prominence as a top London chronometer manufacturer. Charles bought the Arnold firm in 1843 after the death of another prominent chronometer manufacturer, John Roger Arnold (son of the eminent John Arnold), and moved his family and business to 84 Strand, London.
The firm continued to trade as ‘Arnold & Frodsham, Chronometer Makers' until 1858. Over the course of several years, he communicated via letters with George Biddell Airy, Astronomer Royal, on issues such as middle temperature error, high frequency escapements as recommended by Thomas Earnshaw, Greenwich Mean Time, and Airy's remontoire. Most of those letters are kept at Cambridge University Library.
The Institution of Civil Engineers awarded Frodsham the Telford Gold Medal for his presentation on the rules of isochronism in 1847. He received a first-class medal for his timekeepers at the 1851 Great Exhibition. During the rest of the nineteenth century, the business received fourteen more medals and honours at important international exhibits. Frodsham not only presented but also served as a jury at the 1862 International Exhibition, producing the full horological section report.
Following the death of Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy, Frodsham, on Airy’s advice, bought the Vulliamy company owing to their excellent reputation in the market and succeeded Vulliamy as "Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty's Clocks at Buckingham Palace," securing his firm's status as a major worldwide clockmaker.
Frodsham was a founding member of the British Horological Institute and subsequently Vice President, as well as a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, where he served as Master in 1855 and 1862. He was an innovative, talented and well-known horological author who published a number of publications in the field. The History of the Marine Chronometer, by Frodsham, was published in 1871.
