
Samuel Morland, Magister Mechanicorum (2017) - DanBC
https://www.headstuff.org/culture/history/terrible-people-from-history/samuel-morland-magister-mechanicorum/
======
DanBC
I saw this link on Reddit and was interested because I already knew a little
bit about Morland.

He was an early inventor - he designed some mechanical calculators, which is
where I first learned about him.

[https://history-
computer.com/MechanicalCalculators/Pioneers/...](https://history-
computer.com/MechanicalCalculators/Pioneers/Morland.html)

[https://history-computer.com/People/MorlandBio.html](https://history-
computer.com/People/MorlandBio.html)

He's also involved in early mass surveillance. On of the reasons Britain set
up a state postal service was to spy on communications.

[https://pasttenseblog.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/today-in-
lond...](https://pasttenseblog.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/today-in-londons-
surveillance-history-secret-apparatus-for-tampering-with-copying-forging-
letters-in-the-interests-of-the-state-burned-in-the-great-fire-1666/)

I'm struck by this quote:

> Morland also recorded what he saw as the basic function of his devices and
> of surveillance in general: “a skilful prince ought to make a watch tower of
> his general post office… and there place such careful sentinels as that, by
> their care and diligence, he may have a constant view of all that passes.”

I haven't found much information about his machines (but I haven't looked
particularly hard), so I have no idea how they worked. The reddit post has an
answer that talks about sealing letters in the Spanish manner:
[https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/sealing-
wa...](https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/sealing-wax/)

> It was then that the superior qualities of the new "Spanish" wax came to be
> highly valued. The basic formula of this new sealing compound was a blend of
> shellac, mastic, turpentine, chalk or gypsum, and a coloring agent, to which
> essential oils and/or fragrant balsams might be added to facilitate melting
> and impart a pleasant fragrance. This "sealing wax" could be melted to a
> thick viscous fluid which would readily and firmly adhere to the parchment
> or paper on which it was placed. While warm, it would take a clear
> impression of any seal that was pressed in to it. It would remain solid,
> even in the heat of summer, and was flexible enough to remain intact while
> affixed to the document on which it had been placed. However, it was
> extremely difficult to remove a seal made of this material and replace it
> after the contents of the sealed document had been read. This compound was
> more brittle than beeswax so it could be easily broken, thus providing clear
> evidence of tampering. Even if the seal could be removed unbroken, any
> attempt to re-affix a seal was nearly impossible, since, with such a low
> melting point, the image which had been impressed into it would loose its
> crispness, if not melt completely, if additional hot wax was used to re-
> attach it, yet another sign of tampering.

