Correspondence map
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William Watson
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. Enjoyed visit of William Herschel and John Frederick William Herschel. Sorry about accident with coach. Discusses Horne Tooke's search for metaphysics through etymology. Extensive analysis of nature of verbs. Notes [daughter] Joy's response to John Frederick William Herschel's Masonic sign.
26 September 1816 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/109
Autograph letter signed by sender. Thanks John Frederick William Herschel for William Herschel's gift. Wishes Horne Tooke had lived to publish third volume. E. D. Clarke's experiment with oxygen-hydrogen fuel mix to blowpipe was anticipated by Americans. Cites 1803 journal from New York.
16 November 1816 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/110
Autograph letter signed by sender. Thanks John Frederick William Herschel for cheeses and etymology letter. 'Substantive quality' of names. Agrees with [Thomas] Hobbes, questions sensible perceptions. Invites William Herschel for visit as respite from bad health.
23 December 1816 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/111
1818
Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus
1818
1819
John Frederick William Herschel serves on the Board of Longitude
1819
Contemporary copy in sender's hand, signed by sender. John Frederick William Herschel's father and mother will call on William Watson during visit to Bath, scheduled after wedding of John Frederick William Herschel's cousin. Spent three weeks meeting science luminaries in Paris. Notes continuity of scientific endeavors there over three generations.
15 February 1819 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/18/112
Autograph letter signed by sender. Delighted that John Frederick William Herschel proposes to use William Herschel's 20-foot telescope.
12 May 1819 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/113
Autograph letter signed by sender. Received John Frederick William Herschel's profile. Glad William Herschel's portrait is taken. William Watson has one from forty years ago. Lady Watson not well. Requests information about 'the comet.' Happy for account of Beckwiths.
24 July 1819 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/114
Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. John Frederick William Herschel's father and mother will call on William Watson during visit to Bath, scheduled after wedding of John Frederick William Herschel's cousin. Spent three weeks meeting science luminaries in Paris. Notes continuity of scientific endeavors there over three generations.
15 February 1819 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/20/64
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. Relieved that news of death of King [George III] did not weaken William Herschel. Will see John Frederick William Herschel and Lady Mary Pitt Herschel in Bath in April. Lady Watson and Miss Joy are not well.
15 February 1820 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/115
Autograph letter signed by sender. Recovering from shoulder injury. After leaving Slough, called on Joseph Banks, who died recently.
6 August 1820 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/116
Autograph letter signed by sender. William Herschel's health. Lady Watson and Miss Joy are well. Sad that John Frederick William Herschel will not visit Bath.
2 November 1820 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/117
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. Sorry to hear John Frederick William Herschel's father and mother are ill and cannot visit Bath. Received account of new Astronomical Society of London. Honored to be listed as member with old friend William Herschel.
9 March 1821 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/118
Autograph letter signed by sender. Has not seen Mr. Penn's work John Frederick William Herschel mentioned. William Watson was chosen member of Astronomical Society. Asks John Frederick William Herschel to pay dues; William Watson will reimburse him.
22 June 1821 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/119
Autograph letter signed by sender. Good health in both families. John Frederick William Herschel's letter about Alps was interesting. Will toast William Herschel's birthday tomorrow. What does William Watson owe John Frederick William Herschel for Astronomical Society dues?
14 November 1821 Sender: William Watson Reference number: HS/18/120
1822
Death of Sir William Herschel FRS
25 August 1822
Copy of a letter, incomplete. Reluctant to intrude on William Watson's own sorrow, but grateful for William Watson's forty-year friendship with William Herschel. Caroline Herschel departing for Hanover.
26 September 1822 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/19/38
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”.
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
