Stratford, William Samuel, 1789-1853 (naval officer and astronomer)
Dates
- Existence: 1789 - 1853
Biography
William Samuel Stratford (1789-1853) was born on 22 May 1789. He entered the navy in 1806, and was engaged in naval business in the North Sea, 1809-1815. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1815, but was not engaged offshore after that year. Thereafter, Stratford studied astronomy, and became Secretary of the Astronomical Society on its foundation in 1820. He was appointed Superintendent of the Nautical almanac in 1831, and made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1832. He died on 29 March 1853.
Found in 23 Collections and/or Records:
Cambridge observations, 1833 - 1837
Correspondence on magnetic observations, 1834 - 1848
Correspondence on observatories, 1834 - 1847
Correspondence on reductions, 1837 - 1849
Correspondence on the printing and distribution of planetary and lunar reductions. The correspondents include F.W. Bessel, F. Beaufort, H.C. Schumacher, J.F. Encke, W.S. Stratford and J.F.W. Herschel.
Correspondence on reductions, 1833 - 1847
Correspondence concerning requests for reduced lunar observations, etc.; computation of the geocentric places of the planets; instructions and computations for planetary reductions; Bradley's reduced observations; and reductions of the minor planets. The correspondents include J.W. Lubbock, J.C. Adams, W.S. Stratford, J.F. Encke, F. Baily, J. Challis and P.A. Hansen.
Correspondence on Royal Astronomical Society, 1836 - 1848
Correspondence on visitor admissions, 1835 - 1848
Correspondence on visitor admissions, 1849 - 1854
Correspondence on weights and measures, 1829 - 1848
Correspondence with Nautical Almanac Office, 1827 - 1848
Discussion of star places, 1756 - 1848
Correspondence on the positions of stars, with their errors, new discoveries, comparisons of star places (i.e. with the Tabula Regiomontana) and the motion of variable stars. The correspondents include F. Baily, Sir F. Beaufort, J.F.W. Herschel, J. Glaisher, R. Sheepshanks, W.H. Smyth, T. Galloway, W.S. Stratford, J.R. Hind, W.R. Dawes, Sir G. Everest and W. Lassell. The papers also include various parts of star catalogues.
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1828 - 1847
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1850
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1851
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1852
Airy's miscellaneous correspondence with, among others, D.F.J. Arago, F. Beaufort, J. Challis, E.J. Cooper, W.R. Dawes, A. de Morgan, W. Denison, J.F. Encke, J.D. Forbes, R. Grant, J.F.W. Herschel, the Earl of Rosse, E. Sabine, A. Sedgwick, R. Sheepshanks, W.H. Smyth, R. Stephenson, W.S. Stratford, F.E.W.V. Struve, W. Whewell and Lord Wrottesley.
'Nautical Almanac' correspondence, 1849 - 1857
Correspondence concerning the 'Nautical Almanac' with regard to the positions of the minor planets, observations of the Moon's position, its corrections and the Moon's culminations. There are requests for information and discussions on the material inserted in the 'Nautical Almanac'. The correspondents include W.S. Stratford, C.P. Smyth, Sir F. Beaufort, P.P. King, C.F.A. Shadwell and A.D. Bache.
Notebooks and notes of miscellaneous official and private papers of Stratford, 1827-1838
Notebooks, with some additional loose sheets, containing calculations made at the Nautical Almanac Office by various assistants under Stratford's supervision, relating to Halley's Comet, 1835-1836, 1827-1838
Includes a final proof of Ephemeris of Halley's Comet 1835-6 (Nautical Almanac Office, 30 December 1835), in which the first results of these calculations were published.
Official and scientific correspondence, 1823 - 1830
Airy's official and scientific correspondence, volume 1, including letters from Amici, Baily, Beaufort, Bouvard, Brewster, Carlini, Cerquene, Colby, Davy, Gambart, Garvey, Gilbert, Hamilton, Herschel, Hudson, Hussey, Jenkins, Lardner, Lax, Maclear, Pearson, Pond, Rigaud, Robinson, Rumker, Sabine, Sanchis, Schumacher, South, Stratford and Young, with an index to the correspondents at the end. There are a few letters in French and Italian.
Official and scientific correspondence, 1830 - 1832
Airy's official and scientific correspondence, volume 2, including letters from Arago, Auber, Baily, Barrow, Beaufort, Becker, Cooper, De Morgan, Encke, Forbes, Foster, Gambert, Gilbert, Gregory, Hamilton, Harcourt, Henderson, Herschel, Hudson, Hussey, Inman, Innes, Lax, Lubbock, Maclear, Princess Olive, Parrot, Pearson, Quetelet, Robinson, Schumacher, Sheepshanks, Stratford, Taylor, Tiarks and Tyson, with an index to the correspondents at the end. There are a few letters in French.
Papers on Government superintendence, 1837 - 1848
Papers on Northumberland's telescope, 1842 - 1846
William Samuel Stratford: Papers
Mainly consist of astronomical calculations, including work relating to Halley's Comet. Also includes some accounts and draft regulations for the London Chemical Society.
Additional filters:
- ARCHON code (for CUL materials)
- Royal Greenwich Observatory (GBR/0180) 20
- Archives and MSS Dept. (GBR/0012) 3
- Type
- Archival Object 22
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Astronomical observatories 1
- Astronomical telescopes 1
- Astronomy 1
- Halifax 1
- Magnetism 1