Dead Astronomers !!!

[ziksby]

!!:eek:
In addition to researching my family history, I'm looking for amatuer/ professional astronomers of yesteryear (like the unknown man below, from my postcard collection).
http://www.geocities.com/ziksby/grubbmount.JPG

I'm a council member for the Society for the History of Astronomy. We are conducting a survey of the UK and Ireland to record and archive as much information as possible about astronomers and observatories. If you come across such information please let me know. Manythanks.

[ziksby]

Don't you just love 'em.
Wait for one for ages ....... then 3 come along all at once.
No ... not buses .... dead astronomers!
And on my own doorstep too .... well, my hometown anyway.
I was examining an online Victorian map when the word "observatory" jumped out at me. It was on the Davenham estate in Malvern, Worcs. the home of the Perrins family of Worcester Sauce and Worcester Porcelain fame. Further research revealed that James Dyson Perrins, his son Charles W Dyson Perrins and Charles's brother-in-law, the Rev. Beresford Potter were all amatuer astronomers and Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Now its back to the maps and the RAS obituaries.

[Tony]

. . . and it is curious that the 9th Astronomer Royal was named Dyson too - Sir Frank DYSON 1868-1939, who is in my own tree. Minor coincidence I guess - life's full of 'em.

[Tony]

This is probably too far down the line for your purposes, but just to mention for interest: I have one of those anonymous family photos passed down from a now long-dead great-aunt which shows typical curious details. The photo was taken (I guess from the attire) around 1880.
The view is from the road of a two storey house, a private dwelling, which I am almost certain is located in Haddenham, Bucks. That's where our family (ROSE) resided for centuries. The house looks neat and tidy, with windowboxes at just about every window. There is a large nameboard 'WILSON' attached to the house. In the garden is a gentleman in suit and bowler, and to one side a lady cradles a child. An older gentleman leans into the picture over a low hedge from the lane alongside the house. The garden is wildly overgrown.
Close to the gentleman is set up a large telescope on a tripod.
Unfortunately I have no idea who the subjects of the photo are, except for the 'Wilson' clue which may be a red herring anway.
As I say, it is a puzzling photograph.

[ziksby]

Apologies for not seeing this message earlier, yours being the first response after 4 years of waiting ......
Now ... your photograph sounds most interesting. William Rutter Dawes, a notable amateur astronomer lived in Haddenham in the 1860s and sold one of his telescopes to a James Wilson. If I could have sight of a copy of the photograph I might be able to throw some light on the subjects in it. If you could scan it and send me a PM, I'll give you my email address. Many thanks.

[Lesley Robertson]

. . . and it is curious that the 9th Astronomer Royal was named Dyson too - Sir Frank DYSON 1868-1939, who is in my own tree. Minor coincidence I guess - life's full of 'em.


Are these gentlemen related to Freeman Dyson of spherical fame????
This is purely idle interest...

Lesley

[Tony]

Lesley - in so far as all DYSONs are supposed to stem from a specifically identified Yorkshire progenitor, yes.
Freeman DYSON's family was from Halifax (birthplace of his father George DYSON). My own DYSON ancestors, and Sir Frank's, were settled in nearby Huddersfield area (Slaithwaite/Almonsbury/Honley).

Ziksby - I'll have to get back on that - my scanner has given up the ghost but perhaps I can get the photo scanned commercially and send you a print. Actually the letters have worn off manu of my keyboard keyd too, things are going diwnhill fast here, so if I onadvertwntly mistupe you will pleade excude me.
I have the inventory of James Wilson's household furniture and effects prepared by John Clarke of Haddenham after James' death and dated 23 May 1883. No mention is made of a telescope though. Thanks for the very interesting snippet of information. For interest, James' widow, Susannah, remarried after his death to Levi Hutt of Thame (I am fortunate to have their original marriage certificate).

[Tony]

Ziksby, I had the photograph copied on archive quality material today.
The original image size is only 2.5" x 3.5" but it has reproduced very well indeed.
Let me know where I am to send it.

[ziksby]

Hi Tony,
Apologies for my absence, I've been away.
I can't put my address here and don't seem to be able to distinguish you from the other Tonys on this board to send you a private message. If you can PM me (ziksby) I will let you have my address.
I must say this is most kind of you to take this trouble.
Roger

[Browneyes]

Below is a site worth visiting...I suggest clicking on 'search' on the left hand side, 'basic search' then 'advanced search' and put the surname in abstract words/keyword and a date (year) range. When you find the article you're interested in look at it via 'Full Refereed Journal Article'

For example there's an article on there about Frank Watson Dyson.

http://www.adsabs.harvard.edu/

[crudshoveller]

Hi Ziksby.
Sorry, my generation are not up on shortforms like 'PM' - or maybe I've led an SL (sheltered life).

I have the copy photo of the Haddenham telescope scene - if you want to email your address privately to me at shipshaper AT hotmail DOT com I will mail it on (since you so kindly provided worthwhile information I coul neither have envisaged nor could hope to get from any other source accessible to me).

Tony

[Jan1954]

Hello crudshoveller - welcome to Brit-Gen

I have edited your email address so as to avoid unwanted spam - the forum is very popular ;)

PM - this means private message. If you click on ziksby's name, a drop-down box appears and one of the options is to send a private message.

Good luck with your research,

[esdel]

Apologies for not seeing this message earlier, yours being the first response after 4 years of waiting ......
Now ... your photograph sounds most interesting. William Rutter Dawes, a notable amateur astronomer lived in Haddenham in the 1860s

Amazing: a renaissance after 4 years death.
Two things:
Dyson. Surely there are Dyson Opticians all over the UK - or was it USA?
Dawes: PLEASE send any info you have on this astronomer William R Dawes. Did he have rellies that emigrated to Australia - William Richard Manly Dawes born 1831?
Many thanks
esdel