ROYAL OBSERVATORY, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1820-1831 ROYAL OBSERVATORY, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1820-1831 THE FOUNDING OF A COLONIAL OBSERVATORY Incorporating a biography of Fearon Fallows by BRIAN WARNER Department ofA stronomy, University ofCape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Warner, Brlan. Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, 1820-1831 : the founding of colonial observatory : incorporatlng a blography of Fearon Fallows by Brian Warner. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-94-010-4063-1 ISBN 978-94-011-0139-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-0139-4 1. Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope--History. 1. Fallows, Fearon, 1789-1831. II. Tltle. OB82.S62C369 1995 522'. 19687--dc20 95-17562 Printed on acid-free paper AlI Rights Reserved © 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Origina1ly published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1995 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1995 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any fonn or by any means, electronic or mechanical, inc1uding photocopying, recording or by any infonnation storage and retrieval system, without written pennission from the copyright owner. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX PREFACE xi CHAPTER 1: FROM COCKERMOUTH TO THE CAPE VIA CAMBRIDGE 1 The Origins of the Royal Observatory, CGH 1 The Young Fallows 9 Cambridge Undergraduate 13 Religious Orders 17 A Cambridge Career 18 Mathematical Reform 23 Astronomy at Cambridge 25 The Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Society 26 Preparations for Departure 28 CHAPTER 2: CAPE RESIDENCE 37 Voyage to the Cape 37 Initial Impressions 40 The Temporary Observatories 45 The Catalogue of Southern Stars 54 A Proposed Time Service 55 The Search for a Suitable Site 56 Lacaille's Observatory 60 Fallows's Personal Life 62 Financial Arrangements 65 George Thompson 71 Captain Owen and the Longitude of the Cape 71 Minor Publications 74 Observations of Eclipses 76 The Assistants 78 Diversions 84 CHAPTER 3: BIRTH OF THE OBSERVATORY 87 Land Acquisition: 1823-24 87 The Plan Delayed 91 The Architect 92 The Architecture 96 The First Contract 100 John Cannon 103 The Meridian Line 104 John Skirrow 105 The Foundations 105 Winter 1825 107 The Second Contract 110 vi Synopsis of the Construction 111 Security Measures 113 Quality Control 116 The Chases 120 Instrument Piers 121 Outhouses 125 The Domes 126 Fittings and Furniture 128 CHAPTER 4: INSTRUMENTATION 130 The Zenith Sector 131 The Mural Circle 134 The Transit Instrument 140 Transportation to the Observatory 143 Captain Ronald 145 The Herschel 14-foot Reflector 146 Clocks and Chronometers 149 CHAPTER 5: LIFE AT THE OBSERVATORY 151 Residential Occupation 151 Land Acquisition: 1827-28 155 Klerck's Estate 157 Completion of the Instrument Piers 160 The Meridian Marks 161 The Observatory Well 166 Beautifying the Site 169 Manuel Johnson and the St. Helena Observatory 170 Cambridge University Observatory 172 Paramatta Observatory 174 The South African Museum 175 Miscellaneous Associations 176 Ecclesiastical Involvements 178 The Observatory and Slavery 180 The Cape Wine Trade Committee 183 CHAPTER 6: NO BED OF ROSES 185 Response to Criticism 185 Threat of Abortion 189 Swinging the Pendulum 190 Testing the Transit and Mural Instruments 199 The Departure of Captain Ronald 201 First (and only) Meridian Results 204 The Mural Circle: Completion of the Saga 207 Final Days 212 The Observatory in Limbo 220 Mrs. Fallows 221 Final Publication 225 REFERENCES 227 INDEX 237 By the same author Astronomers at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope. Balkema, Cape Town, 1979. Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer-Artist: His Cape Years 1835-1845,Bal kema, Cape Town, 1981. (with N. Warner) Maclear & Herschel: Letters and Diaries at the Cape of Good Hope 1834-1838. Balkema, Cape Town, 1984. (with N. Warner) The Journal of Lady Franklin at the Cape of Good Hope, November 1836. South African Library, 1985. The Cape Diary and Letters of William Mann, Astronomer and Mountain eer 1839-1843. South African Library, 1989. Lady Herschel: Letters from the Cape 1834-1838. South African Library, 1991. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Fallows's and Wordsworth's houses 10 Figure 2 John and Rebecca Fallows 12 Figure 3 Fearon Fallows 14 Figure 4 John Herschel 16 Figure 5 Example of Fallows's writing 19 Figure 6 St John's College, Cambridge 22 Figure 7 Examples of Fallows's signature 26 Figure 8 Cape Town in the 1820s 41 Figure 9 Caledon Square and Army Barracks in Cape Town 42 Figure 10 Huts at the Royal Observatory 46 Figure 11 The portable transit 47 Figure 12 Rozen Hoff Garden 48 Figure 13 Plan of Cape Town 51 Figure 14 Zorg en Lust 52 Figure 15 Table Bay, by Capt. Owen 73 Figure 16 Fallows's drawing of parhelia 75 Figure 17 Map of site selected for the Observatory 88 Figure 18 Plan of the land of the Observatory 90 Figure 19 John Rennie 94 Figure 20 Architectural impression of the Observatory 95 Figure 21 Signature of John Rennie 96 Figure 22 Plan of the Ground Floor of the Observatory 98 Figure 23 Architect's impression of the Observatory 99 Figure 24 Detail showing transit instrument room 119 Figure 25 Stone for the Cape Observatory 122 Figure 26 Detail showing zenith sector 134 Figure 27 Troughton's mural circle 136 Figure 28 Troughton's transit instrument 141 Figure 29 The Cape transit instrument 142 Figure 30 The William Herschel mirror 148 Figure 31 William Hardy clock 149 Figure 32 The Observatory, c. 1830 152 Figure 33 The Observatory, c. 1830 153 Figure 34 North meridian pillars 164 Figure 35 South meridian pillars 165 Figure 36 The Observatory, 1832 166 Figure 37 The Observatory from the north-east, c. 1835 167 Figure 38 'Rebecca', a slave 182 Figure 39 The Observatory, 5 October, 1829 193 Figure 40 Stone piers at the Observatory 195 Figure 41 The back of the Observatory, c. 1830 208 Figure 42 The mural circle 211 Figure 43 Fallows's grave 215 Figure 44 Memorial tablet in Cockermouth 218 Figure 45 The Observatory and Fallows's grave, c. 1835 222 Figure 46 Maclear's meridian pillar and Fallows's grave 224 ix PREFACE This book, which has been in the making for some eighteen years, would never have begun were it not for Dr. David Dewhirst in 1976 kindly having shown the author a packet of papers in the archives of the Cambridge Obser vatories. These letters and miscellaneous papers of Fearon Fallows sparked an interest in the history of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope which, after the diversion of producing several books on later phases of the Observatory, has finally resulted in a detailed study of the origin and first years of the Observatory's life. Publication of this book coincides with the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Observatory, e.G.H. Observatories are built for the use of astronomers. They are built through astronomers, architects, engineers and contractors acting in concert (if not always in harmony). They are constructed, with whatever techniques and skills are available, from bricks, stones and mortar; but their construction may take a toll of personal relationships, patience, and flesh and blood. Written histories of the founding and functioning of astronomical observa tories commonly concentrate on scientific and technical aspects, with but occasional glimpses of the human factors involved. In the account given in this book of the founding and first few years of operation of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope the human side is not neglected. To emphasize that the personae involved were real people with personalities and idiosyncracies, living in an environment filled with domestic issues and daily problems rather than in sterile surroundings, liberal amounts of family, town and college anec dote and ambience are included. Extensive quotations from letters and docu ments generate some awareness of the nature of the contemporary life. In these, non-standard spelling, grammar and capitalization have been retained. Unlike the founding of other early observatories, where much of what happened may have been decided verbally and was therefore lost to the record, the building of the Observatory at the Cape was carried out at a location almost infinitely remote from the prime movers. His Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape had to write frequent reports of progress, contained in both official and private letters. The development of the Observatory is therefore quite fully, even repetitively, documented among these sources. Although an extensive search has been made, it is entirely possible that other material remains to be found - for example, Fallows mentions a travel journal that he kept during trips away from Cape Town. The original sources on which this book is based are located in the following institutions, the Directors of which are thanked for their permission to use relevant material: xi xii PREFACE The Royal Society of London; the Royal Astronomical Society; St. John's College, Cambridge; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford; the British Library; the Public Records Office, Kew; the Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin; the Archives of the Royal Greenwich Observatory; Cambridge University Library; the Ob servatories, Cambridge; the Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset; Wigan Public Library; the South African Astronomical Observatory; the Library of Parliament, Cape Town; the Cape Archives; the South African Library; the South African Museum; St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town; the Surveyor General's Office, Cape Town. Christie's of London are particularly acknowledged, for permission to use the recently revealed watercolour of the Royal Observatory (Figure 39). The following individuals have generously given of their time in aiding the author in this research: David W. Dewhirst, Frank James, J. Martin, Rupert F. Hurly, Nancy Warner, Arlene Fanaroff, Ethleen Lastovica, the late Phil Laurie. Gordon Davidson, descended from Fallows's sister Rebecca, kindly provided details of his family tree. Stuart Atkinson allowed the use of his photographs. Drummond Laing ably assisted in preparation of the photographic illustrations. As always, Penny Dobbie has lavished great care and patience on the author and the preparation of the manuscript. Publication of this book was aided in part by grants from the University of Cape Town and the Cape Tercentenary Foundation. CHAPTER 1 COCKERMOUTH TO THE CAPE VIA CAMBRIDGE The Origins of the Royal Observatory, CGH "The end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries were remarkable for the small amount of scientific movement going on in this country, especially in its more exact departments .... Mathematics were at the last gasp, and Astronomy nearly so -I mean in those members of its frame which depend upon precise measurement and systematic calculation. The chilling torpor of routine had begun to spread itself over all those branches of science which wanted the excitement of experimental research".(32) This ringing indictment of the state of scientific Britain at the turn of the century. was made by one who tried as much as anybody to remedy the defects! - Sir John Herschel (1792-1871). To a large extent, science was "an elegant ornament of society, practiced by virtuosi", (33) as exemplified by the critic's father - Sir William Herschel - whose wealth of discoveries led Sir John to exclude the natural history of the heavens from his censure. As astronomy was almost the only science to have professional posts outside of the Universities, the criticism of these "exact departments" was especially sensitive. There were two established major observatories2 -the Royal Greenwich Observatory under the Astronomers Royal Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811) from 1765 until 1811, and John Pond (1767-1836) until 1835, and the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford under Thomas Hornsby (1733-1810) from 1772 until 1810 and Abram Robert son (1751-1827) from 1810 to 1827. Herschel clearly believed thattheir progress was uninspiring and it is not difficult to see why. During his long reign, Maskelyne added no new instrument to the Observa tort and of his industry at the Observatory "there is little to record. .. beyond the patient prosecution, year by year, of an immense amount of sober, practical work".(34) Of Pond, who issued a notorious minute stating that his employees should be "obedient drudges", Maunder says "Men who had the spirit of 1 The successes of British astronomy in the first third of the nineteenth century are included in the comprehensive "Report on the Progress of Astronomy during the present century" by G.B. Airy.(372) 2 There were a few small University and College observatories,(47) notably Glasgow, Aberdeen and Armagh, but these were not contributing significantly. 3 Maskelyne did, however, inform the Royal Society that the Greenwich instruments were no match for the ones in use on the Continent, as a result of which Maskelyne's successor took delivery of a magnificent new mural circle.(56)