He followed his father's trade, but found time to acquire a knowledge of Latin, Greek, mathematics, physics, anatomy and other subjects.

Trans., 1753), but subsequently, after the Swedish physicist, Samuel Klingenstierna (1698–1765), had pointed out that Newton's law of dispersion did not harmonize with certain observed facts, Dollond began experiments to settle the question.

[5] Their daughter, Sarah Dollond, married his neighbour and friend, the mathematician and instrument maker Jesse Ramsden.

[6] A theoretical approach to reduce chromatic aberration was worked out by Leonhard Euler in papers that he published in the Memoires of the Berlin Academy between 1747 and 1753.

Optician George Bass, following the instructions of Chester Moore Hall, made and sold such lenses as early as 1733.

A number of his competitors, including Bass, Benjamin Martin, Robert Rew and Jesse Ramsden, took action.