Flamsteed, JOHN

Flamsteed, JOHN, the first astronomer-royal of England, for whose use the Royal Observatory at Greenwich was built, was born near Derby in 1646. He early devoted himself to mathematics and astronomy with such success as to attract the notice of Sir Jonas Moore, and through him he was appointed astronomer to the king in 1675, in which capacity he endured the unhappy conjunction of too much work and too little pay. The year after, the Observatory at Greenwich was built, and Flamsteed began the series of observations that really commenced modern practical astronomy. He formed the first trustworthy catalogue of the fixed stars, and furnished those lunar observations on which Newton depended for the verification of his lunar theory. Extracts from the papers of Flamsteed, found in the Observatory by Francis Baily, and published by authority of the Admiralty in 1835, brought to light a very sharp quarrel that had taken place between Flamsteed and Newton and Halley with regard to the publication of the results of Flamsteed's labours. His great work is his Historia Cælestis Britannica, an account of the methods and results of astronomical observation up to his time, published in 3 vols. in 1723. Flamsteed, while following his scientific pursuits, took holy orders, and in 1684 was presented to the living of Burstow, in Surrey, which he held till his death on 31st December 1719. See Baily's Account of Flamsteed (1835).