Francis Watkins and the Dollond telescope patent controversy

Francis Watkins was an eminent figure in his field of mathematical and optical instrument making in mid-18th-century London.

Working from original documents, Brian Gee has uncovered the life and times of an optical instrument maker, who - at first glance - was possibly not the most prominent in his field.

However, he played an important role in one of the most significant legal cases to touch this profession, namely the patenting of the achromatic lens in telescopes.