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The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Comments on the operational and organizational details of the magnetic and meteorological observatories, and on the supervisory committee's [the Physical Committee of the R.S.L.] responsibilities.
Believes that rather than asking the government for more money to continue making magnetic observations, the six years of observations should be studied to see if further observations can be justified.
Having been assured by ES that the government might receive a request for more money for magnetic observations, JH retreats from his earlier position [see JH's 1844-7-17], and is willing to accept the possibility of a magnetic conference, which JH does not want to lead in any way. JH believes his scientific life is almost over and he has much to do.
Invites ES and his wife [at St. Leonard's] to visit . JH is impressed with ES's ability to develop a working plan for terrestrial magnetism observations. Is prepared to write a review article [about magnetism?] if invited, but JH refuses to write such articles and offer them 'for acceptance or rejection.'
Thanks ES for receipt of information about magnetic curves and the work of [A. D.] Bache. JH is glad to hear ES is back to active work again, but JH says he is too ill to go to the B.A.A.S. meeting [in Aberdeen].
Has incorporated ES's suggestions into the draft report about [the University of] Kasan.
Writes about arrangements for an R.S.L. council meeting.
Wishes ES had expressed opinion on requesting government money to maintain 'establishment' at R.S.L. committee meeting.
Pendulum experiments to be conducted at stations of Great Indian Trigonometrical Survey.
JH's reasons for requesting three-year extension of magnetic and meteorological survey from British government and H.E.I.C. Preliminary results from global stations.
Wollaston Fund should be reserved for furtherance of private individual research, not for vast public projects. Prefers to ask assistance from secretary for Colonies.
Will write to Court of Directors to ask H.E.I.C. to publish observations from Indian observatories. Needs to know where observations are stored, whether Humphrey Lloyd has reduced them, ES's reasons for making this request, best method for preparing data, and probable expense. Must go to Slough tomorrow to do business with former tenant.
Agrees that H. C. Schumacher and foreign institutions should be added to list of recipients for catalogs. Please submit recommended names to B.A.A.S. Needs addresses of [W. S.] Stratford and Paramatta observatory. Complications in mailing B.A.A.S. catalog to foreign recipients.
Returns Robert Peel's letter. JH has not changed opinion. Will not accept office [of R.S.L. president], even for one year.
Asked [Charles Lyell] to communicate JH's response to ES.
Agrees with W. R. Birt on advantages of continuing Kew observatory if B.A.A.S. can afford it. Encloses Birt's letter to JH. Understands difficult financial position of B.A.A.S.
Cannot attend meeting of grant committee tomorrow. Favors grant to print observations made at Armagh Observatory by T. R. Robinson, but with conditions. Protests any grants to public institutions. Mr. Forbes's proposition is too premature to act on it.
Disagreement with W. H. Sykes over whether to publish observations by General [Cullen?] that Sykes claims have never been reviewed or read [to R.S.L.]. Encloses copy of JH's reply to Sykes.
[Extract] Learned that JH was appointed by R.S.L. to committee to cooperate with B.A.A.S. to promote continuance of terrestrial magnetism survey. Asks ES to send committee summary of results already obtained and ES's opinion of how best to conduct future observations.
Asks help of R.S.L. in reducing all observations to 1870 in JH's catalog of nebulae. Estimates cost at £10.