The Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1774 (14 Geo. 3. c. 66) was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that repealed the earlier legislation providing rewards for the discovery of a method of finding the longitude at sea, saving the provisions constituting the Commissioners for the Discovery of the Longitude (the Board of Longitude) and those relating to the Nautical Almanac, and made new and reduced provision for such rewards.
Provisions Repealed enactments Section 1 of the act repealed 8 enactments, listed in that section, except so far as they related to the appointment and authority of the commissioners thereby constituted, or to the constructing, printing, publishing, vending, and licensing of nautical almanacks and other useful tables. CitationShort titleDescriptionExtent of repeal13 Ann. c. 14 12 Ann. St. 2. c. 15Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1713An Act for Providing a Publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall Discover the Longitude at Sea.The whole act, except so far as it relates to the appointment and authority of the commissioners thereby constituted, and except such clauses as relate to the constructing, printing, publishing, vending, and licensing of nautical almanacks and other useful tables.14 Geo. 2. c. 39Longitude and Latitude Act 1740An Act for surveying the Chief Ports and Head Lands, on the Coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Islands and Plantations thereto belonging, in order to the more exact Determination of the Longitude and Latitude thereof.26 Geo. 2. c. 25Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1753An Act to render more effectual an Act made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, "An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea," with regard to the making Experiments of Proposals made for discovering the Longitude; and to enlarge the Number of Commissioners for putting in Execution the said Act.2 Geo. 3. c. 18Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1762An Act for rendering more effectual an Act, made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, "An Act for providing a Publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea," with regard to the making Experiments of Proposals made for discovering the Longitude.3 Geo. 3. c. 14Discovery of Longitude at Sea (John Harrison) Act 1763An Act for the Encouragement of John Harrison to publish and make known his Invention of a Machine, or Watch, for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea.5 Geo. 3. c. 11Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1765An Act for rendering more effectual an Act made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, "An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea," with regard to the making Experiments of Proposals made for discovering the Longitude.5 Geo. 3. c. 20Discovery of Longitude at Sea (No. 2) Act 1765An Act for explaining and rendering more effectual Two Acts, One, made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, intituled, "An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea;" and the other, in the Twenty-sixth Year of the Reign of King George the Second, intituled, "An Act to render more effectual an Act made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, 'An Act for providing a publick Reward for such Person or Persons as shall discover the Longitude at Sea,' with regard to the making Experiments of Proposals made for discovering the Longitude; and to enlarge the Number of Commissioners for putting in Execution the said Act."10 Geo. 3. c. 34Discovery of Longitude at Sea Act 1770An Act for rendering more effectual several Acts for providing a Publick Reward for discovering the Longitude at Sea; for improving the Lunar Tables constructed by the late Professor Mayer; and for encouraging Discoveries and Improvements useful to Navigation.
Subsequent developments The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 116), which came into force on 21 August 1871.
Notes
References
External links Transcript of the act, from Transcripts of the 23 Longitude Acts, Royal Observatory Greenwich