Unpublished paper, 'Observations on magnetism' by John Macdonald

Reference number: AP/11/12

Date: 01 November 1822

Description

Macdonald offers his explanation of the variation of the magnetic needle in view of the recent discovery of the northwest magnetic pole, which he suggests could be the sole point of magnetic attraction on earth, the North Pole being merely a point of reference.

An ink inscription top left of first page reads '(Not to be printed)'. Minor corrections appear throughout in ink.

Subject: Geodesy

Written by Macdonald in Putney [London]. Read to the Royal Society on 23 January 1823.

Reference number: AP/11/12
Earliest possible date: 01 November 1822
Physical description: Ink on paper
Page extent: 9 pages
Format: Manuscript

Creator name

John Macdonald

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Citation

John Macdonald, Unpublished paper, 'Observations on magnetism' by John Macdonald, 01 November 1822, AP/11/12, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_11_12/unpublished-paper-observations-on-magnetism-by-john-macdonald, accessed on 15 January 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_11_12/unpublished-paper-observations-on-magnetism-by-john-macdonald

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Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Archived Papers
1768-1989 Reference number: AP
Archived papers: volume 11, scientific papers submitted the Royal Society unpublished or abstracted, 1822-1825
1820-1825 Reference number: AP/11

Related Fellows

John Macdonald
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Archived Papers

The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

Dates: 1768 - 1989

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