Correspondence Explorer

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Showing 76 letters from 1816–1857

67 letters from George Peacock; 9 letters from John Frederick William Herschel

George Peacock

British mathematician and university reformer

Born: 09 April 1791

Died: 08 November 1858

Elected to the Royal Society Fellowship: 29/01/1818

View all items sent or received by George Peacock
John Frederick William Herschel

Mathematician and astronomer

Born: 07 March 1792

Died: 11 May 1871

Elected to the Royal Society Fellowship: 27/05/1813

View all items sent or received by John Frederick William Herschel

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George Peacock

John Frederick William Herschel

John Frederick William Herschel is awarded Master of Arts (MA), at the University of Cambridge

30 January 1816

John Frederick William Herschel starts astronomical work alongside his father Sir William Herschel FRS

1816

Autograph letter signed by sender. News of his travels in Italy. Has lost their trunks.

Reference number: HS/13/245

Autograph letter signed by sender. Regrets not having notified John Frederick William Herschel of the arrival of the manuscripts. Comments on them and the other papers. An algebra is much wanted. Has been much occupied with college and public business.

Reference number: HS/13/246

Autograph letter signed by sender. Book will be published on 13 Dec. Also printing John Frederick William Herschel's notes. Will extend to 710 pages. Comments on the errors and gives ideas for future publications. Reform is afoot in the University.

Reference number: HS/13/247

1817

Autograph letter signed by sender. Outlines the events at Cambridge and the defeat of the reform George Peacock hoped to introduce in the mathematical examinations.

Reference number: HS/13/248

Autograph letter signed by sender. Thanks for the two letters and the interesting matter they contain. Hopes John Frederick William Herschel will come when [William?] Clark[e]'s election takes place. Has put John Frederick William Herschel's name on the Syndics. Will not cease to exert himself in the cause of [mathematical] reform. Vice-Chancellor is against change.

Reference number: HS/13/249

Autograph letter signed by sender. Rejoices at the prospect of seeing John Frederick William Herschel on 10 June, the day of the election. Many supporters of William Clark may be absent. Has been unwell himself lately. Hears nothing about John Frederick William Herschel's Algebra. [Richard?] Harraden is difficult to move. Tell Charles Babbage an anonymous donor has given £20,000 to Peterhouse.

Reference number: HS/13/250

Autograph letter signed by sender. Has only just returned to the University. Not known at what time the election will take place. Has made inquiries about the bricks; they were given to the College by Sir J. Malcolm. Will get them copied. Just about to write to Charles Babbage who is coming down to take his degree.

Reference number: HS/13/251

Autograph letter signed by sender. Encloses certificate that Charles Babbage sent him, with the amended signatures. Sorry it has given John Frederick William Herschel so much trouble. All rejoice to see John Frederick William Herschel on 10 June.

Reference number: HS/13/252

Autograph letter signed by sender. Regrets delay in answering letter, but is setting to work and hopes to send part of his manuscript on curves in a few days. Has spoken to Smith (the printer). [Richard?] Harraden is immovable.

Reference number: HS/13/253

Autograph letter signed by sender. Received the parcel containing George Peacock's manuscript just as he was intending to go into the country. Delayed his departure to prepare it for the printer, but the latter is waiting for types. Comments on John Frederick William Herschel's suggestions. Observatory was discussed at the meeting of Caput but was put off till 3 Dec. further discussion. James Wood is exerting his influence against it.

Reference number: HS/13/254

Autograph letter signed by sender. Syndicate appointed to consider the erection of an observatory at Cambridge. Gives details of passage through the Senate. Was obliged for J. B. Biot's letter of introduction; found his talents and candor delightful. Had estimate from Edward Troughton for instruments for the Observatory. Printing of the examples began yesterday.

Reference number: HS/13/255

Autograph letter signed by sender. Will be a meeting of the Observatory Syndicate on Tuesday 16 Dec.; hopes that John Frederick William Herschel can come as his name has great weight.

Reference number: HS/13/256

1818

Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

1818

Autograph letter signed by sender. Went to London, and then returned for meeting of the Syndicate. Gives details of resolutions passed and also the one to which George Peacock objects, viz body responsible for appointing observer. There is to be another meeting on Friday.

Reference number: HS/13/257

Autograph letter signed by sender. Meeting was not called by the Vice-Chancellor, so powers of the Syndicate are now at an end. Gives news of events at the University. Has had letter from J. B. Biot, who is to give a series of lectures on Newton's Principia.

Reference number: HS/13/258

Autograph letter signed by sender. Observer for the forthcoming observatory is to be the Plumian Professor. Gives news of other professorships and gives opinion of John Frederick William Herschel's chances should he apply for any.

Reference number: HS/13/259

Autograph letter signed by sender. Requesting support for Adam Sedgwick in the forthcoming election for the Woodwardian Lectureship. Has been unwell himself.

Reference number: HS/13/260

Autograph letter signed by sender. Comments on the candidates and the process for filling the Woodwardian Lectureship at Cambridge; also some other Cambridge University matters.

Reference number: HS/13/261

Autograph letter signed by sender. Making arrangements for a visit to John Frederick William Herschel at Slough.

Reference number: HS/13/262

1819

John Frederick William Herschel serves on the Board of Longitude

1819

Autograph letter signed by sender. Asks John Frederick William Herschel to write a letter of recommendation for a mutual friend, and adds some Cambridge news.

Reference number: HS/13/263

Autograph letter signed by sender. About Charles Babbage's hopes for a position, and joint publication ventures.

Reference number: HS/13/264

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the joint publication of John Frederick William Herschel, George Peacock, and Charles Babbage, and Babbage not doing his part.

Reference number: HS/13/265

Autograph letter signed by sender. Arrangements about a visit to Slough.

Reference number: HS/13/266

1820

John Frederick William Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

1820: John Frederick William Herschel publishes “On the action of crystallized bodies on homogeneous light, and on the causes of the deviation from Newton's scale in the tints which many of them develope on exposure to a polarised ray” .

John Frederick William Herschel serves his first term as Foreign Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society

1820

Autograph letter signed by sender. Business matters relating to the Royal Society [of London] and the Astronomical Society.

Reference number: HS/13/267

Autograph letter signed by sender. Urges John Frederick William Herschel to become an active candidate for vacant Lucasian professorship.

Reference number: HS/13/268

Autograph letter signed by sender. Cambridge University has agreed to build a new observatory [Madingley Road] and now the matter of collecting subscriptions for it must begin.

Reference number: HS/13/269

Autograph letter signed by sender. Subscriptions to the fund to build the observatory [see George Peacock's 1820-5-6] are coming in only slowly.

Reference number: HS/13/270

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the expenses and arrangements regarding the publication of John Frederick William Herschel's A Collection of Examples of the Application of the Calculus of Finite Differences.

Reference number: HS/13/271

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the expenses of their joint publication [see George Peacock's 1820-11-16], rumors of a vacancy in the Lucasian professorship, and about the new observatory at Cambridge.

Reference number: HS/13/272

Autograph letter signed by sender. Urging John Frederick William Herschel to come to Cambridge to examine the plans for the new observatory.

Reference number: HS/13/273

Autograph letter signed by sender. About observatory plans and possible vacancies at Cambridge.

Reference number: HS/13/274

1821

John Frederick William Herschel and Charles Babbage travel through France to Italy and Switzerland.

1821

John Frederick William Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

1821: John Frederick William Herschel publishes “On the aberrations of compound lenses and object-glasses" in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

John Frederick William Herschel receives the Copley Medal of the Royal Society for his papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions

1821

Autograph letter signed by sender. Cambridge news, George Peacock's own activities, and comments on the progress of the observatory plans.

Reference number: HS/13/275

Autograph letter signed by sender. About plans for the Cambridge observatory.

Reference number: HS/13/276

Autograph letter signed by sender. News from Cambridge, including information about the new observatory.

Reference number: HS/13/277

Autograph letter signed by sender. News of Cambridge University.

Reference number: HS/13/278

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the university politics of filling vacant posts.

Reference number: HS/13/280

1822

Death of Sir William Herschel FRS

25 August 1822

Autograph letter signed by sender. Of Cambridge University news, and observatory plans.

Reference number: HS/13/281

Autograph letter signed by sender. Observatory plans are progressing well; George Peacock also sends some Cambridge University news.

Reference number: HS/13/282

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the election to fill vacancies at Cambridge University.

Reference number: HS/13/283

Autograph letter signed by sender. About intrigue and unethical dealings surrounding the election to fill vacancies at Cambridge University.

Reference number: HS/13/284

Copy of a letter. Grateful for George Peacock's sympathy. John Frederick William Herschel's mother 'dreadfully distressed.'

Reference number: HS/19/32

1823

John Frederick William Herschel receives the Bakerian Medal of the Royal Society.

1823: John Frederick William Herschel gives the Bakerian lecture “On certain Motions produced in Fluid Conductors when transmitting the Electric Current”.

Autograph letter signed by sender. About matters relating to the building of the observatory.

Reference number: HS/13/285

1824

John Frederick William Herschel moves to 56 Devonshire St., Portland Place, London

1824

John Frederick William Herschel serves as Secretary of the Royal Society

30 November 1824

Autograph letter signed by sender. On the matter of helping a friend who is being maligned [Mrs. Bowdich], and about John Frederick William Herschel's projected Continental tour.

Reference number: HS/13/286

1825

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

1825

1826

John Frederick William Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions

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

1827

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

1827

Autograph letter signed by sender. Is afraid John Frederick William Herschel will decline the invitation to be a candidate for the Lucasian professorship, so it is assumed Charles Babbage will be elected.

Reference number: HS/13/287

1828

Autograph letter signed by sender. About the election of Charles Babbage to the Lucasian professorship.

Reference number: HS/13/288

1829

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

3 March 1829

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

1831

Mary Somerville publishes Mechanism of the Heavens

1831

Sir John Herschel is created Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order

1831

Sir John Herschel publishes Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy as part of Dionysius Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia.

1831

Birth of Isabella Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

5 June 1831

1833

Sir John Herschel receives the Royal Medal from the Royal Society

1833: The Medal is awarded "For his paper on nebulae and clusters of stars, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1833."

Sir John Herschel publishes A treatise on astronomy as part of Dionysius Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia.

1833

Birth of William James Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1833

Sir John Herschel departs for South Africa with his wife and their three children

13 November 1833

1834

Birth of Margaret Louisa Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1834

1835

Sir John Herschel serves as President of the Literary and Philosophical Society of the Cape of Good Hope

1835

Halley’s comet becomes visible

28 November 1835

1836

Birth of Alexander Stewart Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

5 February 1836

1837

Victoria becomes Queen of the United Kingdom

20 June 1837

Birth of John Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

29 October 1837

1838

Sir John Herschel returns from South Africa

1838: A banquet in presence of Queen Victoria is given to celebrate his return to Britain and made a Baronet.

Autograph letter signed by sender. A note to George Peacock accompanying a letter to Augustus Frederick (Duke of Sussex) in which John Frederick William Herschel indicates a change of heart and an acceptance of the baronetcy [see John Frederick William Herschel's 1838-6-19].

Reference number: HS/13/290

Autograph letter signed by sender. George Peacock informs John Frederick William Herschel how gratified Augustus Frederick (Duke of Sussex) was by John Frederick William Herschel's letter [see John Frederick William Herschel's 1838-6-19].

Reference number: HS/13/291

Copy of a letter. John Frederick William Herschel's reasons for wishing to decline the baronetcy remain, but has decided to accept it because of Augustus Frederick's (Duke of Sussex) 'really noble conduct as respects me.'

Reference number: HS/21/251

1839

Sir John Herschel serves his first term as President of the Royal Astronomical Society

1839: to 1841

Birth of Maria Sophia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1839

William Henry Fox Talbot presents his paper-based photographic process at the Royal Society

1839

1840

Sir John Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions

1840: Sir John Herschel publishes “On the chemical action of the rays of the solar spectrum on preparations of silver and other substances, both metallic and non-metallic; and on some photographic processes”

1841

Sir Robert Peel becomes Prime Minister

1841

Birth of Amelia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1841

Autograph letter signed by sender. About some aspects of the magnetic survey, and who shall pay for it.

Reference number: HS/13/293

1842

Birth of Julia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1842

Sir John Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions

1842: Sir John Herschel publishes “On the action of the rays of the solar spectrum on vegetable colours, and on some new photographic processes”

Autograph letter signed by sender. About arrangements to visit John Frederick William Herschel at Collingwood.

Reference number: HS/13/294

1844

Birth of Matilda Rose Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1844

Autograph letter signed by sender. Advises that John Frederick William Herschel has been elected President of the B.A.A.S. for its meeting at Cambridge in 1845; also some comments on the magnetic survey.

Reference number: HS/13/295

1845

Sir John Herschel serves as President of the British Association

1845

Autograph letter signed by sender. Several items of Royal Society [of London] business.

Reference number: HS/13/296

Autograph letter signed by sender. Provides detailed information about John Frederick William Herschel's responsibilities as President of the B.A.A.S.

Reference number: HS/13/297

Autograph letter signed by sender. Further arrangements about the B.A.A.S. meeting [see George Peacock's 1845-5-10].

Reference number: HS/13/298

Autograph letter signed by sender. Still more about B.A.A.S. meeting arrangements, especially about the magnetic survey {see George Peacock's 1845-5-23].

Reference number: HS/13/299

Autograph letter signed by sender. Brief note alerting John Frederick William Herschel to the presence of a foreign visitor.

Reference number: HS/13/300

1846

Birth of Francisca Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1846

Sir John Herschel serves his second term as Foreign Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society

1846: To 1847

Autograph letter signed by sender. George Peacock accepts a position which John Frederick William Herschel offers him.

Reference number: HS/13/301

1847

Sir John Herschel serves his second term as President of the Royal Astronomical Society

1847: Until 1849

Sir John Herschel receives the Copley Medal

1847: Sir John Herschel receives the Copley Medal of the Royal Society "For his work entitled Results of Astronomical Observations made during the years 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837 and 1838, at the Cape of Good Hope; being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens, commenced in 1825"

Sir John Herschel publishes a paper

1847: Sir John Herschel publishes Results of astronomical observations made during the years 1834, 5, 6, 7, 8, at the Cape of Good Hope; being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens, commenced in 1825.