Herschel, Sir William Frederick, astronomer (1738-1822)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0064 HRS/1-3
Held at	: National Maritime Museum   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/ ›
Full title	: Herschel, Sir William Frederick, astronomer (1738-1822)
Date(s)	: [1795-1825]
Level of description	: Subfonds View parent record
Extent	: 3 vols; 1 file
Name of creator(s)	: Herschel | Sir | William | 1738-1822 | Knight | astronomer and musician

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

William Herschel was a self-taught astronomer who began life as an army musician in Hanover and came to England in 1758 as a refugee during the Seven Years War. In 1781 he discovered the planet Uranus and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. George III appointed him Court Astronomer. He settled at Slough in 1786 and built a telescope which was the largest in the world until it was dismantled in 1839. In 1788 he married Mary Pitt (nee Baldwin). Among a number of biographies is Angus Armitage, William Herschel (London, 1962).

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Sir William Frederick Herschel. There are three volumes of cash accounts kept by Lady Herschel between 1795 and 1825. The first gives details of Sir William's salary as Court Astronomer and of the proceeds from selling telescopes; the other two are housekeeping accounts. There are also letters, proofs and notes about the publication of Herschel's catalogues of the brightness of stars and pamphlets about him and his sister, Caroline, who assisted him with his observations.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were presented by Mrs Shorland, great-great-great-niece of Sir William, together with the papers of his son, Sir John Herschel (q.v.).

Allied Materials

Related material:

The main body of the Herschel papers is in the University of Texas Library and the Linda Hall Library, Kansas City.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jul 2011.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
2010-08-26