James Simms was a British instrument maker.

He succeeded his father William Simms (1793 – 1860) at the instrument making firm Troughton & Simms

Troughton & Simms

Troughton & Simms was a British instrument-making firm, formed when Edward Troughton in his old age took on William Simms as a partner in 1826.It became a limited company in 1915 and in 1922 it merged with T...

. The firm made instruments of various kinds, including notably astronomical instruments and telescope

Telescope

A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...

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For about ten years, until 1871, his partner in the firm was his cousin William Simms (1817 – 1907), who was the son of his uncle James, the brother of his father William. After 1871 he was sole proprietor. After his death, he was succeeded in the firm by his sons, who were named William and James.

Obituaries

• MNRAS 76 (1916) 268 (with genealogical tree)
• Obs 38 (1915) 471