Scope and Contents

The collection is comprised of journals recording Simpkinson's experiences serving on different ships, containing a mixture of short dated entries and longer accounts with occasional dates. There is also a small set of personal papers, relating mainly to Simpkinson's naval career.

Scope and Contents The volume contains logs of the daily proceedings of different vessels kept by F.G. Simpkinson, volunteer 1st class, subsequently midshipman, travelling mainly in the Mediterranean and off the Iberian Peninsula. There are different types of entry for whether the ship was sailing or was docked. The former give the wind direction and record remarks for a.m. and p.m. on the weather, the tasks Simpkinson was employed on, and the arrival and departure of other vessels. The latter give additional...

Scope and Contents The volume contains logs of the daily proceedings of H.M.S. 'Sulphur' and H.M.S. 'Harrier' kept by F.G. Simpkinson, travelling mainly along the western coast of South America. There are different types of entry for whether the ship was sailing or was docked. The former give the wind direction and record remarks for a.m. and p.m. on the weather, the tasks Simpkinson was employed on, and the arrival and departure of other vessels. The latter give additional information, including course,...

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with the First Assistant concerning Navy bills, Mr Corbett's telescope, the transit of Venus, the equatorial clock, etc.

Scope and Contents Outgoing correspondence regarding many astronomical and nautical subjects, including accounts with printers, the production of the 'Nautical Almanac', expeditions to Australia, a reward for a method of making glass of a sufficient quality for instruments, the trial of various timepieces and their employment on board Royal Navy vessels, replies to projectors proposing various methods of finding longitude at sea, and instructions for astronomers (including William Gooch on board the Daedalus...

Scope and Contents

Outlining his proposed method of finding 'londdetude'.

Scope and Contents

Written to correct a previous error of calculation.

Scope and Contents

The letter includes a list of government owned timekeepers and the ships they were consigned to [RGO 5/229: 5-6].

Scope and Contents

A letter from Sir Richard Woolley to the Hydrographer of the Navy regarding the purchase of a double slide plate holder for the 26-inch refractor from Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co. Ltd.

Scope and Contents

Numbered list of the names of the ships of the Royal Navy arranged in rough alphabetical order, 76 folios. The list includes Danish ships. On fo. 5v is a diagram of flags with a number against each. The list was probably intended for signalling purposes. Fos 1v-4v, 6v and 30v-75 are blank.

Scope and Contents

Logbook of HMS Hannibal covering its service off the Crimea, 83 folios. The volume is written in three hands, with occasional notes added by one of the officers.

Scope and Contents

Minutes of the meetings of the Isaac Newton Telescope Project Committee and related correspondence with Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co. Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; the Navy Works Department; and others.

Scope and Contents (1) Correspondence of the Astronomers Royal W.H.M. Christie and F.W. Dyson with the Hydrographer of the Navy, 1886-1932.(2) Correspondence with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, 1886-1937Letters on the disc presented to W.H.M. Christie, 1902.Pages from 'Nature' reporting the speech made by Professor Love on presenting W.H.M. Christie and A.W. Rücker with the degree of Doctor of Science (Honorary), 1902. Notice of the vacancy of the chair of Savilian...

Scope and Contents Miscellaneous sets of Observatory correspondence:Correspondence between the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, and the Coast Lighthouse Commission, 1871-1876. There are letters regarding the first meeting of the new Commission, and copies of the Commission document and of letters between other Commission members concerning the survey of places for lights to be erected, with suggestions as to where lights should or should not be placed.Correspondence regarding the Port...

Scope and Contents Estimates of Naval expenses for the next financial year, with related correspondence. The section relating to the Scientific Branch includes estimates for the Royal Observatory, Cape Observatory, Nautical Almanac, Hydrographical Department, Chronometers and the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth.Estimates, 1836, for the year 1836-1837 (fos 14-15).Estimates, 1837, for the year 1837-1838 (fo. 41).Estimates, 1838, for the year 1838-1839 (fos 76-77).Estimates,...

Scope and Contents Estimates of Naval expenses for the next financial year, with related correspondence. The section relating to the Scientific Branch includes estimates for the Royal Observatory; Cape Observatory; Nautical Almanac; Hydrographical Department; Chronometers; Royal Naval College, Portsmouth; Compass Department; and Libraries and Museums.Estimates, 1846, for the year commencing 1 April 1846 (fos 15-16).Estimates, 1847, for the year commencing 1 April 1847 (fos...

Scope and Contents Estimates of Naval expenses for the next financial year, with related correspondence. The section relating to the Scientific Branch includes estimates for the Royal Observatory; Cape Observatory; Nautical Almanac; Hydrographical Department; Chronometers; Royal Naval College, Portsmouth; Compass Department; Libraries and Museums; Harbour and Railways Department; and the School of Mathematics and Naval Construction.Estimates, 1850, for the year commencing 1 April 1851, including an...

Scope and Contents Estimates of Naval expenses for the next financial year, with related correspondence. The section relating to the Scientific Branch includes estimates for the Royal Observatory; Cape Observatory; Nautical Almanac; Hydrographical Department; Chronometers; Royal Naval College, Portsmouth; Compass Department; and Libraries and Museums.Estimates, 1854, for the year commencing 1 April 1854, including the School of Mathematics and Naval Construction (fos 24-26).Estimates, 1855, for...

Scope and Contents Estimates of Naval expenses for the next financial year, with related correspondence. The section relating to the Scientific Branch includes estimates for the Royal Observatory; Cape Observatory; Nautical Almanac; Hydrographical Department; Chronometers; Royal Naval College, Portsmouth; Compass Department; and Libraries and Museums.Estimates, 1857-1858, for the year commencing 1 April 1857 (fos 31-32).Estimates, 1858-1859, for the year commencing 1 April 1858 (fos...

Scope and Contents Letter from J. Hall of the Admiralty requesting a list of all officers and clerks employed by the Royal Observatory who are 60 years of age or over, 1879, with a reply including the requested list.Letter from J. Hall requesting a list of all employees of the Royal Observatory who are directors of public companies, 1879.Correspondence between Sir George Airy and Admiral Sir Cooper Kay, 1880, containing a request by Kay to visit the Royal Observatory in order to see the general...

Scope and Contents Papers regarding the trial of telescopes, binoculars, mirrors, gun directors, etc., for the Royal Navy:Letter from the Admiralty, 1885, asking that the Astronomer Royal draw up a specification for telescopes for automatic sights of turret guns, so that the purchase may be put out to competitive tender.Form for the forwarding of a pattern of a gun director (pattern 306, registration no. 27) from Portsmouth, 1885.Blank form for use in tendering estimates for the...

Scope and Contents Correspondence and other papers relating to the annual trials of chronometers at the Royal Observatory:Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy and internal memoranda concerning the results of the annual trial of chronometers, 1912-1913.Correspondence with trade journals concerning the publication of the results of the annual trial of chronometers, 1913.Correspondence with the Hydrographer of the Navy concerning the purchase of chronometers,...

Scope and Contents Correspondence and statements regarding the estimates and actual expenditure for the Royal Greenwich Observatory and Nautical Almanac Office, including financial liability statements; Navy Estimates; annual statements of salaries and wages chargeable to vote 6; annual estimates for major works chargeable to vote 10; annual statements for the R.G.O. salaries, wages and allowances chargeable to vote 6A; instruments chargeable to vote 6B; and correspondence with the Hydrographer regarding...

Scope and Contents

Correspondence and other papers relating to the Admiralty; H.M. Dockyard, Chatham; Hydrographer of the Navy; and others concerning general plans and costs with regard to the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Scope and Contents The mutual accusations of Lt. W.S. Stratford and W. Woolhouse, 1837.Correspondence on the Superintendent of the proposed Naval School at Portsmouth, 1838-1839.Letter from Captain Shirreff to Airy regarding the rate of pay of schoolmasters in the Navy, 12 August 1840, including 'Naval Notice on Regulations for the Qualification, Pay, and Half Pay of Naval Instructors and Schoolmasters'.Letters from the Admiralty examining the Greenwich Hospital Schools and concerning...