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Maskelyne’s Assistants (1765–1811)

Although Bliss died on 2 September 1764, Maskelyne was not appointed as his successor until 8 February 1765. Meanwhile, according to Abram Robertson who wrote the preface to the second volume of Bradley’s Observations, Charles Green continued as Assistant, apparently making his last observation on 15 March 1765, the day before Maskelyne took up residence. Howse (Nevil Maskelyne, Cambridge, 1989), goes on to say that Green left on Lady Day, 25 March, to be replaced by Joseph Dymond.

With the exception of Green, all the names and dates recorded in the list below have been compiled from the following sources:

1. Lists of names written by Maskelyne on the inside covers of some of his manuscript Observing Books, specifically: from RGO4/3, RGO4/4, RGO4/5, RGO4/28 and RGO4/54. RGO4/3, RGO4/4 and RGO4/5 are three consequtive volumes of Transit Observations. They are designated repectively as T1, T2 and T3 in the table below. RGO4/28 is a Maskelyne's first volume of Quadrant Observations. Names from this volume are designated Q1 in the table below. RGO4/54 is a volume of Right Ascenscions of the Sun. Names from this volume are designated R1 in the table below. Although there are no lists of names in the rest of the series of Tranist Volumes, RGO4/6 and RGO4/7, the other volumes of Quadrant observations have not been checked. The lists included in the above sources generally only relate to the period covered by the specific volume. It is possible that similar lists survive elsewhere in other volumes in the archive.
2. A partial list in Maskelyne’s hand, written in his memoradum book covering the period 1782–1788 (later in the possession of his descendents and now held by Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, (Ref: 1390/2D)). This list is designated MM in the table below. Its first entry is Thomas Horrox who came to the Observatory in 1786. Its last entry is Thomas Firminger who came to the Observatory in 1799.
3. Two lists prepared in 1858 from original documents held at the Observatory by First Assistant Robert Main for LeVerrier in France (RGO6/4/8–10). These are designated 1a and Ob in the table below. Main compiled his first list (1a) from entries in Maskelyne’s hand which were written on the inside cover of the Observing Books (now designated RGO4/3, RGO4/4, RGO4/5 (see above). It consists of the names of eight assistants and the dates at which they were at the Observatory. The list is incomplete, as Maskelyne stopped recording such details in this way after 1787. His second list (Ob1), was compiled by looking at the manuscript copies of the transit observations and noting who had made the observations (it was only from 1824 onwards that each published observation was routinely accompanied by a note of the observer). As such, it gives the dates of the first and last transit observation made by each assistant. All but the first observations made by each assistant were denoted only by their initials leading Main at one point to confuse John Burnstead with John Brinkley. The dates given by Main in Ob1 were independetly checked by Graham Dolan in 2015 and are denoted Ob2 in the table. Six assistants appear to have never observed.
4. A list published by Thomas Lindsay in the Transactions of the Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto for 1898 p.4. (Click here to download as a pdf). Lindsay’s list is designated 2 in the table below. Lindsay compiled his list partly from a transcription of list MM above. This was supplied to him together with other transcribed notes by Mrs Story-Maskelyne and her husband Professor Story-Maskelyne (Maskelyne’s Grandson). Much of the information in Lindsay’s list was included by former Assistant Henry Park Hollis in his article Greenwich Assistants during 250 years.
5. A list published by Mary Croaken in 2003 in her paper Astronomical Labourers: Maskelyne’s Assistants at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, 1765–1811. (Click here to download (paywall) or here to view via Jstor). Croaken’s list is designated list 3 in the table below. Croarken regrettably gives no details as to how her list was compiled.

The lists published by Lindsay and Croarken a similar, but not identical – some of the spellings and dates are at a slight variance. Lindsay and Croarken list six names not included in either of Main’s lists, all were employed for a period of seven weeks or less. Main’s list (Ob) includes an omission from all the others. This was when Malachy Hitchins assisted Maskelyne for several months in 1769 during Bayly’s absence on an expedition to observe the Transit of Venus in Norway. None of the three authors include Charles Green in their list.

Maskelyne generally only ever employed one assistant at any one time, and by and large, there was always an assistant in post. Over his 46 years as Astronomer Royal, 26 different individuals held the post of assistant, with three being re-employed on a second occasion. Their length of service varied enormously, with many only staying for a few weeks or months. On 19 May 1787, when turnover had been particularly high, Maskelyne compiled a list of over 40 individuals who might be able to recommend suitable candidates. At the same time, he recorded the ‘Qualities to be required for an Assistant.’

‘To understand Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Plane & spherical trigonometry, & Logarithms; to have a good eye and good ears, be well grown, & have a good constitution to enable him to apply several hours in the day to calculation, & to get up to the observations that happen at late hours in the night. To write a good hand, and be a ready & steady arithmetical computer. If he know something of Astronomy & had a mechanical turn so much the better. To be sober & diligent, & able to bear confinement. Age from 20 to 40.’ (Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre,1390/2D).

*Also employed at some point as a Computer on the Nautical Almanac.

† Mistakenly transcribed as William Malachy Hitchins in list OB1 (RGO6/4/8–10), but denoted as ‘The Rev. Mr. Malachy Hitchins’ in list T1 (RGO4/3) and the published transit observations for 24 April 1769.

‡ The date 1799, Dec 17 is presumed incorrect as it is irreconcilable with the dates on which Nisbet and Firminger are recorded as having observed in the observing books.