Benjamin Rittenhouse (1741-1825)
Master Craftsman & Maker of Fine Compasses, Clocks, etc.
He was the younger brother of the famous astronomer and inventor, David. Benjamin himself became the most prolific American compass maker at the time. He moved to Worcester Township where he started out making clocks and mathematical instruments in a factory that was converted to making gun locks for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He continued where he left off after the war and was elected to the State Assembly and served as an Associate Judge of Montgomery County. Despite his successes, he went bankrupt after his brother's death and spent his later years in Philadelphia. He was married twice and had seven children.
