R . P rior ▁& ▁Co . L td . ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁The ▁G wy nd ann ▁Group ▁of ▁Comp an ies ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁changed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Prior ▁Scient ific ▁Inst ru ments ▁Ltd . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁Prior ▁Scient ific ▁Inst ru ments ▁Ltd . ▁merged ▁with ▁James ▁Swift ▁and ▁Son ▁Ltd . ▁James ▁Swift ▁& ▁Son ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁and ▁had ▁an ▁international ▁reputation ▁for ▁producing ▁advanced ▁student ▁and ▁research ▁polar ising ▁micro scop es . ▁The ▁unique ▁Swift ▁Point ▁C ounter ▁compl iment ed ▁the ▁polar ising ▁mic ros cope ▁range ▁and ▁was ▁sold ▁world wide . ▁The ▁James ▁Swift ▁factory ▁was ▁initially ▁at ▁Bas ing st oke , ▁H ants . ▁this ▁was ▁closed ▁after ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁the ▁company ▁joined ▁Prior ▁Scient ific ▁Inst ru ments ▁at ▁London ▁Road , ▁Bishop ' s ▁St ort ford . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁Prior ▁launched ▁a ▁new ▁mod ular ▁series ▁of ▁s tere om icro scop es - the ▁S 2 0 0 0 ▁series . ▁The ▁intention ▁was ▁that ▁this ▁instrument ▁would ▁replace ▁and ▁upgrade ▁the ▁S tere om aster ▁mic ros cope . ▁The ▁design ▁had ▁been ▁based ▁on ▁that ▁of ▁an ▁operating ▁mic ros cope ▁featuring ▁a ▁long ▁working ▁distance ▁it ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁t umb ler ▁rot ating ▁magn ification ▁system ▁and ▁a ▁common ▁objective . ▁The ▁design ▁was ▁a ▁complete