The following are some of his more important achromatic
telescopes. In 1850, when he had been fourteen years in
business, he furnished his earliest patron, Professor Phillips,
with an equatorial telescope of 6 1/4 inches aperture. His
second (of 6 1/8) was supplied two years later, to James
Wigglesworth of Wakefield. William Gray, Solicitor, of York, one
of his earliest friends, bought a 6 1/2-inch telescope in 1853.
In the following year, Professor Pritchard of Oxford was supplied
with a 6 1/2-inch. The other important instruments were as
follows: in 1854, Dr. Fisher, Liverpool, 6 inches; in 1855, H. L.
Patterson, Gateshead, 7 1/4 inches; in 1858, J. G. Barclay,
Layton, Essex, 7 1/4 inches; in 1857, Isaac Fletcher,
Cockermouth, 9 1/4 inches; in l858, Sir W. Keith Murray,
Ochtertyre, Crieff, 9 inches; in 1859, Captain Jacob, 9 inches;
in 1860, James Nasmyth, Penshurst, 8 inches; in 1861, another
telescope to J. G. Barclay, 10 inches; in 1864, the Rev. W. R.
Dawes, Haddenham, Berks, 8 inches; and in 1867, Edward Crossley,
Bermerside, Halifax, 9 3/8 inches.
In 1855 Mr. Cooke obtained a silver medal at the first Paris
Exhibition for a six-inch equatorial telescope.[8] This was the
highest prize awarded. A few years later he was invited to
Osborne by the late Prince Albert, to discuss with his Royal
Highness the particulars of an equatorial mounting with a clock
movement, for which he subsequently received the order.
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