Peter Dollond (1731–1820)

Optician and instrument maker. Founded family optical instrument business, 1750; partner with father, John (1707–61), 1752–61, brother, John (1746–1804), 1766–1804, and nephew, George (1774–1852), 1804–19. Developed improvements for refracting telescopes, and fostered the public demand for portable telescopes. Master of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, 1774–82, 1797–9, and 1801–3. Member, American Philosophical Society.