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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Correspondence Explorer

Choose two people to view all letters between them.

Showing 47 letters from 1825–1830

12 letters from Davies Gilbert; 35 letters from John Frederick William Herschel

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John Frederick William Herschel invents the actinometer to measure the heating power of the Sun’s rays

1825

Copy of a letter. Unable to call on him as his mother wishes to return home directly. Edward Sabine has not returned yet. Outlines some of the difficulties Sabine is experiencing. Premature to judge results at the moment.

Reference number: HS/8/108

Copy of a letter. Unable to call on him as his mother wishes to return home directly. Edward Sabine has not returned yet. Outlines some of the difficulties Sabine is experiencing. Premature to judge results at the moment.

Reference number: HS/20/218

Copy of a letter. Comments on John Frederick William Herschel's mother's health, some communication from Greenwich, and the weather.

Reference number: HS/20/219
1826

John Frederick William Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions

1826: John Frederick William Herschel publishes “On the parallax of the fixed stars”.

Autograph letter signed by sender. Has been transcribing his paper on suspensions. Comments on this and hopes it will be received by the council. Would like to know if his paper has been received.

Reference number: HS/8/109

Autograph letter signed by sender. Was favored with his letter. Comments on his paper and revised it. Hopes to be in town on Thursday. Believes [Stephen] Lee has the last number of Annales de chimie.

Reference number: HS/8/110
1827

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce presents his photographs in England for the first time

1827

Autograph letter signed by sender. Thanks for his letter. Can John Frederick William Herschel or Charles Babbage suggest someone to experiment with glass? Michael Faraday? Regarding the £100 voted for John Newman or his assistant. Has to attend a local meeting on Wednesday.

Reference number: HS/8/111

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sending an appointment [probably V-P of Royal Society [of London]], which will please every member of the Royal Society [of London] Unable to be in London on the 10th, when Henry Kater will be at the breakfast at the Club. Hopes to attend on the 17th.

Reference number: HS/8/112

Copy of a letter. Some Royal Society [of London] business matters.

Reference number: HS/20/245

Copy of a letter. On the poor functioning of the Royal Society [of London] Glass Committee.

Reference number: HS/20/252

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Informs Davies Gilbert that John Frederick William Herschel is resigning as secretary of Royal Society [of London] [at the anniversary date?] and expresses great regret that some regard the position of secretary not as an elected position, but in the patronage of the President.

Reference number: HS/20/257

Copy of a letter. Business matters for the Royal Society [of London]

Reference number: HS/20/261

Copy of a letter. Comments on geodesical measurements being made in Ireland.

Reference number: HS/20/263

Copy of a letter. Responds to having been chosen to be the Vice-President of the Royal Society [of London]

Reference number: HS/20/270

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Will not attend council meeting. John Frederick William Herschel comments regarding the nomination for foreign membership [of Royal Society [of London]?] of Teodoro Monticello.

Reference number: HS/25/14/12

Autograph letter signed by sender. Talks about the glass experiments of John Dollond and Mr. Stanwood[?].

Reference number: HS/26/27

Copy of a letter. On the poor functioning of the Royal Society [of London] Glass Committee.

Reference number: HS/26/30

Contemporary copy in sender's hand, signed by sender. Informs Davies Gilbert that John Frederick William Herschel is resigning as secretary of Royal Society [of London] [at the anniversary date?] and expresses great regret that some regard the position of secretary not as an elected position, but in the patronage of the President.

Reference number: HS/27/12
1828

Copy of a letter. Understands the Board of Longitude has been dissolved. Wonders what the position now is regarding the Optical Glass Committee. Outlines his own views and would welcome Davies Gilbert's instructions.

Reference number: HS/8/113

Autograph letter signed by sender. Has just returned from an exhausting meeting. Has no doubt funds will still be available for the Optical Glass experiments. Has written to Michael Faraday.

Reference number: HS/8/114

Autograph letter signed by sender. Has had a note from J. W. Croker stating his willingness to help. Would like a sketch and details from Michael Faraday of the experiments now going on.

Reference number: HS/8/115

Draft letter. Giving his own and Michael Faraday's views concerning the continuation of the Glass experiments. Regarding the reduction of the Parramatta Observations. Does not wish to undertake it himself.

Reference number: HS/8/116

Copy of a letter. Last night he discovered Encke's Comet. Gives readings.

Reference number: HS/8/117

Copy of a letter. Hastens to correct his own error; the comet he observed is no comet, but one of his father's nebulae. Regrets the errors.

Reference number: HS/8/118

Copy of a letter. Captain [Henry] Foster states that the Admiralty must very shortly receive directions from the Royal Society [of London] concerning the scientific objectives for Foster's voyage.

Reference number: HS/21/1

Copy of a letter. Accepts an invitation to dine with Davies Gilbert; invites Davies Gilbert to the anniversary meeting of the Astronomical Society; comments on scientific voyage being undertaken on behalf of Royal Society [of London], and paid for by the government.

Reference number: HS/21/2

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Understands the Board of Longitude has been dissolved. Wonders what the position now is regarding the Optical Glass Committee. Outlines his own views and would welcome Davies Gilbert's instructions.

Reference number: HS/21/21

Copy of a letter. Comments on two business matters in the Royal Society [of London], namely, the work of the Glass Committee and the question of calculation of observations made at Parramatta, Australia.

Reference number: HS/21/27

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Last night he discovered Encke's Comet. Gives readings.

Reference number: HS/21/28

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Hastens to correct his own error; the comet he observed is no comet, but one of his father's nebulae. Regrets the errors.

Reference number: HS/21/29

Copy of a letter. Should John Frederick William Herschel prepare a report for the Royal Society [of London] Council on the work of the Glass Committee, including Michael Faraday's important results? W. H. Wollaston's health is failing. On recent sunspot and comet observations.

Reference number: HS/21/31
1829

John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart are married in London

3 March 1829

Draft letter. Is leaving London for many months and would therefore like his name removed from the Council of the Royal Society, and also his Vice-presidency to be terminated. Would like his name removed from the glass sub-committee.

Reference number: HS/8/119

Autograph letter signed by sender. Congratulates him on the cause of his temporary absence from London. Hopes he will reconsider his views on resignation from the offices of the Royal Society [of London] at the end of the year. His resignation from the Glass sub-committee is a compliment to Michael Faraday.

Reference number: HS/8/120

Autograph letter signed by sender. Time is approaching when the new members of council have to be considered. Has John Frederick William Herschel changed his mind about resigning. Hopes he will continue.

Reference number: HS/8/120a

Draft letter. Received his letter of the 17th today. Does not think he can change his mind about resigning from the council.

Reference number: HS/8/121

Autograph letter signed by sender. Regrets the Royal Society [of London] is to lose John Frederick William Herschel's services. Eilhard Mitscherlich has been nominated for a medal on John Frederick William Herschel's recommendation; can John Frederick William Herschel give Davies Gilbert some details of Mitscherlich's discoveries?

Reference number: HS/8/122

Copy of a letter. His library is in chaos at the moment due to house decoration, so he is unable to lay his hands on the note about Eilhard Mitscherlich. Gives a long survey of the work of Mitscherlich and states why in his opinion he should receive a medal.

Reference number: HS/8/123

Copy of draft letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Is leaving London for many months and would therefore like his name removed from the Council of the Royal Society, and also his Vice-presidency to be terminated. Would like his name removed from the glass sub-committee.

Reference number: HS/21/42

Copy of a letter. Asks Davies Gilbert to respond to a note from George Rümker.

Reference number: HS/21/45

Copy of draft letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Received his letter of the 17th today. Does not think he can change his mind about resigning from the council.

Reference number: HS/21/51

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. His library is in chaos at the moment due to house decoration, so he is unable to lay his hands on the note about Eilhard Mitscherlich. Gives a long survey of the work of Mitscherlich and states why in his opinion he should receive a medal.

Reference number: HS/21/52
1830

John Frederick William Herschel is elected Foreign correspondent of the Académie des sciences

1830

Birth of Caroline Emilia Mary Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

31 March 1830

John Frederick William Herschel is nominated for the presidency of the Royal Society, loses by 8 votes to the Duke of Sussex

30 November 1830

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sending a letter he has received, and would like John Frederick William Herschel's opinion on it [probably about his telescope; see P. Barlow's 1830-3-14].

Reference number: HS/8/125

Copy of a letter. Suggests Peter Barlow should test his telescope by carrying out a series of observations.

Reference number: HS/8/126

Autograph letter signed by sender. Regarding authors for the Bridgewater Treatises. Would he write on astronomy? Would like his opinion on a paper by John Herapath on optics.

Reference number: HS/8/127

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Suggests Peter Barlow should test his telescope by carrying out a series of observations.

Reference number: HS/21/62

Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Declines to write the Bridgewater Treatise on astronomy; also declines to comment on a paper due to lack of time and difficulty with the author.

Reference number: HS/21/72

Contemporary copy in sender's hand, signed by sender. Declines to write the Bridgewater Treatise on astronomy; also declines to comment on a paper due to lack of time and difficulty with the author.

Reference number: HS/25/1/5

Regarding [Johann Franz] Encke's project of forming a collection of historical observations in the library of the Berlin observatory. Concerning the decision whether the Berlin Observatory should be placed on the list of recipients for the 'Greenwich Observations'.

Reference number: MC/1/211