L. Casella

Louis Pascal Casella (1812–1897), maker of scientific instruments, was born Luigi Pasquale Casella on 29 February 1812 in Edinburgh. Around 1835 he moved to London, where he was employed by an instrument maker, Caesar Tagliabue, who had established his business in 1799. In 1838, Casella married Tagliabue's daughter and became a partner in the business. On Tagliabue's death in 1844, Casella took charge of the firm. In 1848 the firm name was changed from Tagliabue and Casella to L. P. Casella & Co. The firm made a wide variety of instruments.

L. P. Casella & Co. became instrument makers to the Admiralty and the Government of North America in 1856, and to the East India Company and the Board of Trade in 1860.

In 1860, L. P. Casella & Co. was succeeded by the firm known simply as Louis P. Casella. By 1871, the title page of an illustrated catalogue declared that Casella was:

"SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT MAKER TO THE ADMIRALTY, BOARD OF TRADE, BOARD OF ORDNANCE, THE GOVERNMENTS AND OBSERVATORIES OF INDIA, RUSSIA, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, THE UNITED STATES, AND THE BRAZILS; THE BRITISH METEOROLOGICAL AND THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETIES, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORIES AT KEW, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, AND OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT; THE UNIVERSITIES OF CAMBRIDGE, OXFORD, AND LONDON; THE LEADING HOSPITALS AND INFIRMARIES; AND THE OBSERVATORIES OF ARMAGH, WASHINGTON, VICTORIA, TORONTO, CALCUTTA, THE MAURITIUS, ETC. ETC."

Note on Casella's birth date in Edinburgh: Obituaries published at the time of his death variously give it as 1809 and 1811. Clifton and the ODNB gives it as 1812.