Reference
CRT120/107
Title
Astronomy in Bedfordshire
Date free text
19th century
Production date
From: 1800 To: 1899
old accession number 10602
Scope and Content
Letter dated 23 February 1988 from Michael J Watt to Samuel Whitbread following his visit to the Whitbread Observatory on 13th February. Descibes the state of the building and the instruments; gives some detail about Edward Troughton one of the instrument manufacturers;
offers the assistance of members of the Bedford Astronomical Society with restoring the instruments if required. Encloses notes on Admiral William Henry Smyth extracted from Sky & Telescope Magazine of January 1982 including a drawing of the Bedford Observatory by Smyth in 1830 and an account of the 'Sadler-Smyth Scandal' in which Herbert Sadler attacked the expertise and integrity of Smyth. Encloses notes on 'Bedford's lunar legacy' with a diagram showing the location of Mare Smythii on the moon.
Letter dated 7th December 1987 from Lord Baden-Powell to Michael Watt; Lord Baden-Powell was a descendant of Admiral Smyth.Ffurther notes on Bedford's Lunar Legacy concerning the crater Piazzi Smyth. Extract from 'The Ousel' with an obituary of Charles Piazzi Smyth.
Notes on Thomas Elger with caricature from the Bedford Bee and map showing location of Elger crater on the moon.
Notes on Sir Thomas Maclear from the Bedford Astronomical Society History book
Description of the Biggleswade Observatory by Thomas Maclear
Map showing location of Maclear crater on the moon
Letter dated 11 June 1988 from Michael J Watt to Chris Pickford regarding:
1. A visit to the Whitbread Observatory at Cardington in February 1988. Includes a report on the building, the telescope and the construction of the dome; details of the equipment
2. Notes on Admiral W. H. Smyth, Charles Piazzi Smyth & Thomas Maclear including the comment that there are a large sea and two craters on the moon named after these astronomers.
3. Note on Thomas Tompion
Copy of map showing location of an observatory in Biggleswade connected to Thomas Maclear
Letter dated 8 July 1988 from Mr Watt to Mr Pickford asking whether the observatory of Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger's in Kempston can be located
Extracts from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society concerning James Pettit, son of a farmer at Bedford who made a number of telescopes; obituary of Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger; Thomas Maclear; obituary of Samuel Charles Whitbread of Southill Park
Printed account of the Whitbread Oservatory from ' The Public & Private Observatories in London & its Vicinity' published 1851
Letter dated 10 January 1993 to Michael Watt concerning the possibility of restoration of the Whitbread Observatory with report of a visit made on 24th November 1992
Transcription of Whitbread's notebooks from the Observatory
Level of description
item