Ruth Belville

Ruth Belville outside the gates of the Greenwich Observatory, 1908

Elizabeth Ruth Naomi Belville (5 March 1854 – 7 December 1943), also known as the Greenwich Time Lady, was a businesswoman from London. She, her mother Maria Elizabeth, and her father John Henry, sold people the time. This was done by setting Belville's watch to Greenwich Mean Time, as shown by the Greenwich clock, each day and then "selling" people the time by letting them look at the watch and adjust theirs.[1]

  1. ^ "Green". QI. Season G.15. London, England. 26 March 2010. BBC. BBC One.