WEBB (Thomas William, 1807-1885, Astronomer and Clergyman)

Fine Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent saying that he fears “you must be wondering at my very long silence. But it has arisen in the first place from my wish to see your... of Cass; which was frustrated by bad weather for a long time - and then I became much engaged & distracted in various ways. But before leaving for Birmingham, where I hope I may have an opportunity of going next wee, I must just send you a line to apologise, & to thank you for pointing out a very pretty object - I have examined it twice with considerable care, to find its colours ruddy to blue or bluish purple - but I have not been able to detect any changes in it, such as I have seen in some minutis comites - especially a Piscium. I don’t know whether may be any hope of meeting you... I shall be there - if at all - on Thursday & Friday - & if you are there shall be much disappointed if I do not see you...”, with a postscript that he hopes the October Observatory “will contain a good many pairs of interest...”, 3 sides sm. 8vo.,Hardwick Parsonage, 30th August

Webb went to Oxford where he attended Magdalen Hall. In 1829 he was ordained a minister in the Anglican Church. Through his career T. W. Webb served as a clergyman at various places including Gloucester, and finally in 1852 was assigned to the parish of Hardwicke in Herefordshire near the border with Wales. In addition to serving his parish, he pursued astronomical observation in his spare time. On the grounds of the vicarage or parsonage he built a small canvas and wood observatory that was home to instruments including a small 3.7" (94mm) refracting telescope. Webb acquired progressively larger refractors and reflectors, the largest was a 9-1/3" (225mm) aperture silver on glass reflector used from 1866 until his last observation in March 1885. It was at Hardwick that he wrote his classic astronomical observing guide Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes in 1859 for which he is best known today.

Item Date:  1865

Stock No:  42561      £250

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