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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.
Copy of JH's midsummer examination questions—17 on Greek drama, 22 on Mechanics—at St. John's College. Currently reading P. S. Laplace's Système du monde, which confirms WH's theory of galaxy formation. T. W. Hornbuckle reports that money has been received from Bruce & Co.
Duties at St. John's College. James Grahame's father is arriving from Glasgow. [James] Wood is working to get Grahame into college. Ask cousin [Mary Baldwin] for address for Mr. Rogers. Recalls JH's summer vacation.
JH's hypothesis on nebular vortex and formation of solar system. Has other ideas about molecular forces and comet tails, but will wait to learn whether WH wants to hear them. JH burned over 100 pages of notes on these speculations. Will return to Slough in mid-December.
Describes JH's public Latin examination in algebra yesterday. James Grahame and sister were dangerously ill, but Grahame returned to Cambridge. [Addendum:] Newspaper clipping naming students (including JH) who received B.A. degrees at Cambridge on 16 Jan. 1813.
Sends William and Mary Somerville to visit Herschel family. Describes and praises the couple. Hopes observatory at Edinburgh will be completed soon.
Two weeks of examinations begin tomorrow. Experiments writing with glass pen. Describes glassmaker's methods. Suggests application to micrometers.
Working in law office of [F. W.?] Sanders. Attended R.S.L. last night. T. W. Hornbuckle offered JH position as subtutor at St. John's College, but JH declined. Describes paper on minerals that JH submitted through E. D. Clarke to Geological Society. Charles Babbage just made creative mathematical discovery.
Would like WH's son, JH, to write some articles for his Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. Would he help him on an article entitled 'Stars'?
Encloses two sketches of proposed armorial ensigns, and would be pleased to receive them back with Sir William's preferences.