Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope 1820–1831: The Founding of a Colonial Observatory Incorporating a biography of Fearon Fallows

249 Pages·1995·10.377 MB·English

by  Brian Warner (auth.)

ROYAL OBSERVATORY, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
1820-1831
ROYAL OBSERVATORY,
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
1820-1831
THE FOUNDING OF A COLONIAL OBSERVATORY
Incorporating a biography of Fearon Fallows
by
BRIAN WARNER
Department ofA stronomy,
University ofCape Town,
Rondebosch, South Africa
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Warner, Brlan.
Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, 1820-1831 : the founding of
colonial observatory : incorporatlng a blography of Fearon Fallows
by Brian Warner.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-94-010-4063-1 ISBN 978-94-011-0139-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-0139-4
1. Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope--History. 1. Fallows,
Fearon, 1789-1831. II. Tltle.
OB82.S62C369 1995
522'. 19687--dc20 95-17562
Printed on acid-free paper
AlI Rights Reserved
© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Origina1ly published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1995
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1995
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any fonn or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
inc1uding photocopying, recording or by any infonnation storage and
retrieval system, without written pennission from the copyright owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX
PREFACE xi
CHAPTER 1: FROM COCKERMOUTH TO
THE CAPE VIA CAMBRIDGE 1
The Origins of the Royal Observatory, CGH 1
The Young Fallows 9
Cambridge Undergraduate 13
Religious Orders 17
A Cambridge Career 18
Mathematical Reform 23
Astronomy at Cambridge 25
The Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Society 26
Preparations for Departure 28
CHAPTER 2: CAPE RESIDENCE 37
Voyage to the Cape 37
Initial Impressions 40
The Temporary Observatories 45
The Catalogue of Southern Stars 54
A Proposed Time Service 55
The Search for a Suitable Site 56
Lacaille's Observatory 60
Fallows's Personal Life 62
Financial Arrangements 65
George Thompson 71
Captain Owen and the Longitude of the Cape 71
Minor Publications 74
Observations of Eclipses 76
The Assistants 78
Diversions 84
CHAPTER 3: BIRTH OF THE OBSERVATORY 87
Land Acquisition: 1823-24 87
The Plan Delayed 91
The Architect 92
The Architecture 96
The First Contract 100
John Cannon 103
The Meridian Line 104
John Skirrow 105
The Foundations 105
Winter 1825 107
The Second Contract 110
vi
Synopsis of the Construction 111
Security Measures 113
Quality Control 116
The Chases 120
Instrument Piers 121
Outhouses 125
The Domes 126
Fittings and Furniture 128
CHAPTER 4: INSTRUMENTATION 130
The Zenith Sector 131
The Mural Circle 134
The Transit Instrument 140
Transportation to the Observatory 143
Captain Ronald 145
The Herschel 14-foot Reflector 146
Clocks and Chronometers 149
CHAPTER 5: LIFE AT THE OBSERVATORY 151
Residential Occupation 151
Land Acquisition: 1827-28 155
Klerck's Estate 157
Completion of the Instrument Piers 160
The Meridian Marks 161
The Observatory Well 166
Beautifying the Site 169
Manuel Johnson and the St. Helena Observatory 170
Cambridge University Observatory 172
Paramatta Observatory 174
The South African Museum 175
Miscellaneous Associations 176
Ecclesiastical Involvements 178
The Observatory and Slavery 180
The Cape Wine Trade Committee 183
CHAPTER 6: NO BED OF ROSES 185
Response to Criticism 185
Threat of Abortion 189
Swinging the Pendulum 190
Testing the Transit and Mural Instruments 199
The Departure of Captain Ronald 201
First (and only) Meridian Results 204
The Mural Circle: Completion of the Saga 207
Final Days 212
The Observatory in Limbo 220
Mrs. Fallows 221
Final Publication 225
REFERENCES 227
INDEX 237
By the same author
Astronomers at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope. Balkema, Cape
Town, 1979.
Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer-Artist: His Cape Years 1835-1845,Bal
kema, Cape Town, 1981.
(with N. Warner) Maclear & Herschel: Letters and Diaries at the Cape of
Good Hope 1834-1838. Balkema, Cape Town, 1984.
(with N. Warner) The Journal of Lady Franklin at the Cape of Good Hope,
November 1836. South African Library, 1985.
The Cape Diary and Letters of William Mann, Astronomer and Mountain
eer 1839-1843. South African Library, 1989.
Lady Herschel: Letters from the Cape 1834-1838. South African Library,
1991.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1 Fallows's and Wordsworth's houses 10
Figure 2 John and Rebecca Fallows 12
Figure 3 Fearon Fallows 14
Figure 4 John Herschel 16
Figure 5 Example of Fallows's writing 19
Figure 6 St John's College, Cambridge 22
Figure 7 Examples of Fallows's signature 26
Figure 8 Cape Town in the 1820s 41
Figure 9 Caledon Square and Army Barracks in Cape Town 42
Figure 10 Huts at the Royal Observatory 46
Figure 11 The portable transit 47
Figure 12 Rozen Hoff Garden 48
Figure 13 Plan of Cape Town 51
Figure 14 Zorg en Lust 52
Figure 15 Table Bay, by Capt. Owen 73
Figure 16 Fallows's drawing of parhelia 75
Figure 17 Map of site selected for the Observatory 88
Figure 18 Plan of the land of the Observatory 90
Figure 19 John Rennie 94
Figure 20 Architectural impression of the Observatory 95
Figure 21 Signature of John Rennie 96
Figure 22 Plan of the Ground Floor of the Observatory 98
Figure 23 Architect's impression of the Observatory 99
Figure 24 Detail showing transit instrument room 119
Figure 25 Stone for the Cape Observatory 122
Figure 26 Detail showing zenith sector 134
Figure 27 Troughton's mural circle 136
Figure 28 Troughton's transit instrument 141
Figure 29 The Cape transit instrument 142
Figure 30 The William Herschel mirror 148
Figure 31 William Hardy clock 149
Figure 32 The Observatory, c. 1830 152
Figure 33 The Observatory, c. 1830 153
Figure 34 North meridian pillars 164
Figure 35 South meridian pillars 165
Figure 36 The Observatory, 1832 166
Figure 37 The Observatory from the north-east, c. 1835 167
Figure 38 'Rebecca', a slave 182
Figure 39 The Observatory, 5 October, 1829 193
Figure 40 Stone piers at the Observatory 195
Figure 41 The back of the Observatory, c. 1830 208
Figure 42 The mural circle 211
Figure 43 Fallows's grave 215
Figure 44 Memorial tablet in Cockermouth 218
Figure 45 The Observatory and Fallows's grave, c. 1835 222
Figure 46 Maclear's meridian pillar and Fallows's grave 224
ix
PREFACE
This book, which has been in the making for some eighteen years, would
never have begun were it not for Dr. David Dewhirst in 1976 kindly having
shown the author a packet of papers in the archives of the Cambridge Obser
vatories. These letters and miscellaneous papers of Fearon Fallows sparked an
interest in the history of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope
which, after the diversion of producing several books on later phases of the
Observatory, has finally resulted in a detailed study of the origin and first years
of the Observatory's life. Publication of this book coincides with the 175th
anniversary of the founding of the Royal Observatory, e.G.H.
Observatories are built for the use of astronomers. They are built through
astronomers, architects, engineers and contractors acting in concert (if not
always in harmony). They are constructed, with whatever techniques and skills
are available, from bricks, stones and mortar; but their construction may take a
toll of personal relationships, patience, and flesh and blood.
Written histories of the founding and functioning of astronomical observa
tories commonly concentrate on scientific and technical aspects, with but
occasional glimpses of the human factors involved. In the account given in this
book of the founding and first few years of operation of the Royal Observatory
at the Cape of Good Hope the human side is not neglected. To emphasize that
the personae involved were real people with personalities and idiosyncracies,
living in an environment filled with domestic issues and daily problems rather
than in sterile surroundings, liberal amounts of family, town and college anec
dote and ambience are included. Extensive quotations from letters and docu
ments generate some awareness of the nature of the contemporary life. In these,
non-standard spelling, grammar and capitalization have been retained.
Unlike the founding of other early observatories, where much of what
happened may have been decided verbally and was therefore lost to the record,
the building of the Observatory at the Cape was carried out at a location almost
infinitely remote from the prime movers. His Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape
had to write frequent reports of progress, contained in both official and private
letters. The development of the Observatory is therefore quite fully, even
repetitively, documented among these sources. Although an extensive search
has been made, it is entirely possible that other material remains to be found -
for example, Fallows mentions a travel journal that he kept during trips away
from Cape Town.
The original sources on which this book is based are located in the following
institutions, the Directors of which are thanked for their permission to use
relevant material:
xi
xii PREFACE
The Royal Society of London; the Royal Astronomical Society; St. John's
College, Cambridge; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the Museum of the History
of Science, Oxford; the British Library; the Public Records Office, Kew; the
Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin; the Archives
of the Royal Greenwich Observatory; Cambridge University Library; the Ob
servatories, Cambridge; the Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset; Wigan
Public Library; the South African Astronomical Observatory; the Library of
Parliament, Cape Town; the Cape Archives; the South African Library; the
South African Museum; St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town; the Surveyor
General's Office, Cape Town.
Christie's of London are particularly acknowledged, for permission to use
the recently revealed watercolour of the Royal Observatory (Figure 39).
The following individuals have generously given of their time in aiding the
author in this research: David W. Dewhirst, Frank James, J. Martin, Rupert F.
Hurly, Nancy Warner, Arlene Fanaroff, Ethleen Lastovica, the late Phil Laurie.
Gordon Davidson, descended from Fallows's sister Rebecca, kindly provided
details of his family tree. Stuart Atkinson allowed the use of his photographs.
Drummond Laing ably assisted in preparation of the photographic illustrations.
As always, Penny Dobbie has lavished great care and patience on the author
and the preparation of the manuscript.
Publication of this book was aided in part by grants from the University of
Cape Town and the Cape Tercentenary Foundation.
CHAPTER 1
COCKERMOUTH TO THE CAPE VIA CAMBRIDGE
The Origins of the Royal Observatory, CGH
"The end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries were
remarkable for the small amount of scientific movement going on in this
country, especially in its more exact departments .... Mathematics were at the
last gasp, and Astronomy nearly so -I mean in those members of its frame which
depend upon precise measurement and systematic calculation. The chilling
torpor of routine had begun to spread itself over all those branches of science
which wanted the excitement of experimental research".(32)
This ringing indictment of the state of scientific Britain at the turn of the
century. was made by one who tried as much as anybody to remedy the defects!
- Sir John Herschel (1792-1871). To a large extent, science was "an elegant
ornament of society, practiced by virtuosi", (33) as exemplified by the critic's
father - Sir William Herschel - whose wealth of discoveries led Sir John to
exclude the natural history of the heavens from his censure. As astronomy was
almost the only science to have professional posts outside of the Universities,
the criticism of these "exact departments" was especially sensitive. There were
two established major observatories2 -the Royal Greenwich Observatory under
the Astronomers Royal Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811) from 1765 until 1811, and
John Pond (1767-1836) until 1835, and the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford
under Thomas Hornsby (1733-1810) from 1772 until 1810 and Abram Robert
son (1751-1827) from 1810 to 1827. Herschel clearly believed thattheir progress
was uninspiring and it is not difficult to see why.
During his long reign, Maskelyne added no new instrument to the Observa
tort and of his industry at the Observatory "there is little to record. .. beyond
the patient prosecution, year by year, of an immense amount of sober, practical
work".(34) Of Pond, who issued a notorious minute stating that his employees
should be "obedient drudges", Maunder says "Men who had the spirit of
1 The successes of British astronomy in the first third of the nineteenth century are included
in the comprehensive "Report on the Progress of Astronomy during the present century" by G.B.
Airy.(372)
2 There were a few small University and College observatories,(47) notably Glasgow,
Aberdeen and Armagh, but these were not contributing significantly.
3 Maskelyne did, however, inform the Royal Society that the Greenwich instruments were no
match for the ones in use on the Continent, as a result of which Maskelyne's successor took delivery
of a magnificent new mural circle.(56)