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Annals of Science Volume 37, 1980 - Issue 3
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George Biddell Airy and horology

J.A. Bennett Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3RH, England
Pages 269-285 | Received 16 Aug 1979, Published online: 22 Aug 2006

  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 124 – 124 . Cambridge
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 125 – 125 . Cambridge Astronomer Royal's report, 1836. The reports submitted annually by Airy to the Board of Visitors will be cited thus throughout; they can be found as appendices to the published Astronomical observations made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, generally published with the previous year's observations, except that, for reasons explained above, the reports for 1836–39 are all with the observations for 1838.
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 124 – 124 . Cambridge
  • For an account of the Greenwich trials, see Gould R.T. The marine chronometer. Its history and development London 1923 253 266
  • et al. Greenwich Observatory London 1975 3 vol. 1, Origins and early history, 19.
  • 1836 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • It is not so much as mentioned in the Dictionary of scientific biography
  • Airy , G.B. 1827 . On the forms of the teeth of wheels . Trans. Cambridge Philosophical Soc. , 2 : 277 – 286 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1830 . On the disturbances of pendulums and balances, and on the theory of escapements . Trans. Cambridge Philosphical Soc. , 3 : 105 – 128 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1830 . On the disturbances of pendulums and balances, and on the theory of escapements . Trans. Cambridge Philosphical Soc. , 3 : 125 – 125 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1830 . On the disturbances of pendulums and balances, and on the theory of escapements . Trans. Cambridge Philosphical Soc. , 3 : 128 – 128 .
  • Royal Greenwich Observatory manuscript (referred to subsequently as ‘RGO’) 1156, 37. Mercer V. The life and letter of Edward John Dent London 1977 42 43 says that Airy's first contact with Dent was in February 1836, but this letter is even earlier and marks the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration.
  • The clock itself is illustrated in Mercer V. The life and letter of Edward John Dent London 1977 136 138
  • 1156 . RGO 61 – 61 .
  • 1156 . RGO 67 – 67 .
  • Information on this escapement is derived from RGO 1156 239 275
  • 1156 . RGO 249 – 249 .
  • 1156 . RGO 252 – 252 .
  • 1842 . Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 5 : 221 – 222 .
  • This is Dent Regulator No. 587, now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, London. The reasons for believing that this is the clock originally made for Struve, but never sent, are given in Mercer V. The life and letter of Edward John Dent London 1977 164 165
  • 1156 . RGO 259 – 259 .
  • Airy's account and diagram are reproduced in Mercer V. The life and letter of Edward John Dent London 1977 125 127 142
  • 1156 . RGO 24 – 24 .
  • For a fuller account of middle temperature error, see Gould R.T. The marine chronometer. Its history and development London 1923 175 179
  • Airy , G.B. , ed. 1842 . Account of improvements in chronometers made by Mr. John Sweetman Eiffe 117 – 117 . London Introduction; RGO 1158
  • 1156 . RGO 145 – 171 . G. B. Airy (footnote 1), 138–139.
  • 1158 . RGO 1 – 343 . for the report, see ibid., 125–133.
  • 1158 . RGO 113 – 113 .
  • 1158 . RGO 175 – 237 .
  • 1158 . RGO 167 – 167 .
  • 1165 . RGO 345 – 351 .
  • 1842 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1843 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1156 . RGO 279 – 334 .
  • 1156 . RGO 336 – 346 .
  • 1156 . RGO 356 – 361 .
  • 1156 . RGO 363 – 374 .
  • 1156 . RGO 377 – 388 .
  • 1156 . RGO 457 – 482 .
  • 1156 . RGO 493 – 497 .
  • 1157 . RGO 116 – 141 .
  • For Airy's papers on Ulrich's claims, see RGO 1158 344 522 1159, 131–153; 1163, 207–230; 1164, 388–478.
  • 1158 . RGO 359 – 359 .
  • 1158 . RGO 365 – 365 .
  • 1158 . RGO 367 – 367 .
  • Gould , R.T. 1923 . The marine chronometer. Its history and development 176 – 176 . London
  • 1164 . RGO 471 – 471 .
  • For the Loseby papers see RGO 1156 457 486 1159, 1–129; 1161, 62–85, 276–302; 1162, 22–37, 43–53, 85–122; 1164, 493–523.
  • 1159 . RGO 21 – 21 .
  • 1159 . RGO 101 – 101 .
  • 1161 . RGO 278 – 278 .
  • 1163 . RGO 170 – 185 . 1164, 57–74; R. T. Gould (footnote 4), 169.
  • 1164 . RGO 229 – 229 . 1165, 34 ff; R. T. Gould (footnote 4), 135; Astronomer Royal's report, 1871; Astronomer Royal's report, 1881.
  • 1867 . Astronomer Royal's reports 1870 (see G. B. Airy (footnote 1), 289), 1873 (ibid., 302).
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 244 – 244 . Cambridge
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 138 – 138 . Cambridge 289. On the Admiralty and the chronometer trade, see A. C. Davies, ‘The life and death of a scientific instrument: the marine chronometer, 1770–1920’, Ann. sci., 35 (1978), 509–525.
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 258 – 258 . Cambridge
  • 1156 . RGO 175 – 209 . G. B. Airy, ‘On a new construction of the going-fusee’, Trans. Cambridge Philosophical Soc., 7 (1842), 217–225.
  • 1156 . RGO 217 – 217 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1840 . On the regulator of the clock-work for effecting uniform movement of equatoreals . Mem. Royal Astron. Soc. , 11 : 249 – 267 .
  • RGO 1156 135ff
  • RGO 1156 143 – 143 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1851 . Supplement to a paper “On the regulation of the clock-work for effecting uniform movement of equatoreals” . Mem. Royal Astron. Soc. , 20 : 115 – 119 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1851 . Supplement to a paper “On the regulation of the clock-work for effecting uniform movement of equatoreals” . Mem. Royal Astron. Soc. , 20 : 116 – 117 .
  • Airy , G.B. 1851 . Supplement to a paper “On the regulation of the clock-work for effecting uniform movement of equatoreals” . Mem. Royal Astron. Soc. , 20 : 117 – 117 .
  • For some account of the genesis of Airy's design, see Airy G.B. On the method of observing and recording transits, lately introduced in America; and on some other connected subjects Monthly notices Royal Astron. Soc. 1850 10 26 34
  • For a detailed account of the chronograph, see Airy G.B. Description of the galvanic chronographic apparatus of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich Astronomical and magnetical and meteorological observations made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in the year 1856 London 1858 an appendix to
  • 1854 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1856 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1860 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • For a description of the water clock, see Airy G.B. Description of the Great Equatoreal at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich Astronomical and magnetical and meteorological observations made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in the year 1868 London 1870 22 28 Appendix III to
  • Airy , G.B. 1870 . “ Description of the Great Equatoreal at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich ” . In Astronomical and magnetical and meteorological observations made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in the year 1868 28 – 28 . London Appendix III to
  • et al. Greenwich Observatory London 1975 3 H. D. Howse, The buildings and instruments, 98. The water clock is now preserved at the National Maritime Museum, London.
  • 1872 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • Personal communication from Laurie P.S. based on RGO manuscripts What remains of the original chronograph is also at the National Maritime Museum, London.
  • For Airy's own interest in electrically-maintained clocks, see Monthly notices Royal Astron. Soc. 1861 21 160 163
  • Mercer , V. 1977 . The life and letter of Edward John Dent London chs. 13, 20, 21
  • Mercer , V. 1977 . The life and letter of Edward John Dent 247 – 247 . London
  • Mercer , V. 1977 . The life and letter of Edward John Dent 228 – 229 . London For the Royal Exchange clock, see RGO 1156, 389–444; 1157, 15–34.
  • Mercer , V. 1977 . The life and letter of Edward John Dent 348 – 350 . London
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 207 – 207 . Cambridge 213. For Denison, see P. Ferriday, Lord Grimthorpe 1816–1905 (1957, London), chs. 3, 4.
  • Mercer , V. 1977 . The life and letter of Edward John Dent 414 – 415 . London
  • Howse , H.D. 1980 . The story of Greenwich time Oxford
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 206 – 206 . Cambridge
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 213 – 213 . Cambridge
  • 1853 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1853 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 223 – 223 . Cambridge 226
  • RGO 1164 313 – 313 .
  • On this clock, see RGO 1164 312 334 1165, 81–129; V. Mercer (footnote 12), 470–481.
  • 1872 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • RGO 1165 111 – 111 .
  • 1878 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • 1871 . RGO 1165 155 – 155 . Astronomer Royal's report
  • For Airy's bar, see Gould R.T. The marine chronometer. Its history and development London 1923 202 204 G. B. Airy (footnote 1), 307; and RGO 1165, 154–266.
  • For Airy's bar, see Gould R.T. The marine chronometer. Its history and development London 1923 177 177 186
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 322 – 322 . Cambridge
  • RGO 1165 200 – 200 . 208, 213
  • RGO 1165 238 – 238 .
  • RGO 1165 239 – 239 .
  • Information on the Ingold affair comes from RGO 1156 216ff 216ff
  • RGO 1156 216ff – 216ff .
  • RGO 1156 216ff – 216ff .
  • RGO 1156, 216ff. For Ingold and this venture, see R.F. Carrington R.W. Pierre Frédéric Ingold and the British Watch and Clockmaking Company Antiquarian horology 1978 10 698 714
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 227 – 228 . Cambridge
  • Airy , G.B. 1896 . Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Edited by: Airy , W. 153 – 153 . Cambridge

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