Flamsteed, John (1646-1719)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0117 MS/243
Held at	: Royal Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://royalsociety.org/collections/ ›
Full title	: Flamsteed, John (1646-1719)
Date(s)	: 1673-1719
Level of description	: Sub-fonds
Extent	: 70 items
Name of creator(s)	: Flamsteed | John | 1646-1719 | astronomer
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born, 1646; Education: Derby School; Jesus College, Cambridge; MA (Lit. Reg. 1674) Career: Left school because of an attack of rheumatism (1662); travelled to Ireland in search of a cure; went to London (1670) where he met Henry Oldenburg (FRS date) and Sir Jonas Moore (FRS date), who became his patron; ordained (1675); first Astronomer Royal (1675-1719), he used his own instruments, which were removed by his widow after his death; Vicar of Burstow, Surrey (1684); a perfectionist, he was reluctant to publish his observations unless they were perfect, which led to conflict with Newton and Halley. On 12 December 1709 Queen Anne appointed a Board of Visitors of the Royal Observatory made up of the President and Council of the Royal Society, authorizing them to demand a copy of each year's observations, to direct what observations should be made, and to examine the observatory's instruments. Flamsteed's vigorous objections and refusal to co-operate further on the publication of his star catalogue and observations led to an incomplete version being published by Halley in 1712, which he condemned. After the accession of George I Flamsteed was able to buy up 300 of Halley's unsold copies, and after removing the sextant observations which he had previously approved and reserving some copies to display their errors, he burnt the rest. His observations were published to his very high standards posthumously in 1725 edited by his wife Margaret, and his 'Atlas Coelestis' in 1729, where the editor was again his wife with Crosthwait and Sharp responsible for the technical side; died, 1719.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Letters from John Flamsteed, 1673-1719, comprising two volumes: Volume One - Letters from John Flamsteed to Richard Towneley; Volume Two - Letters from John Flamsteed to Abraham Sharp.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English and Latin

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Open.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.

Finding aids:

Archive card catalogue.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, Cambridge University Library, papers 1675-1719, correspondence with Sir Isaac Newton, 1680-1689; York Minster Archives, navigational tables; Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, tables of sun and moon, 1700; Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library, Oxford University, correspondence with E Bernard, 1678-1684; Trinity College Library, Cambridge University, letters to J Helvelius, 1681; Southampton Archives Office, correspondence with William Molyneux, 1681-1690; Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University, letters to Sir John Moore; Special Collections, Edinburgh University Library, miscellaneous papers Reference Dc 1 61. Colour tiff of folio 12, plan of Greenwich Observatory, Richardiii/Images general Tiffs/Flamsteed J, IM005995.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Copied from the Royal Society catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions:
General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Feb 2009.