The subject of pay at the Observatory becomes increasingly complex from the nineteenth century onwards. Although there is information in the various archives about the amounts individuals were paid on certain specific dates, information about the overarching pay structures, pay ranges and dates when they were introduced are less well documented – particularly in the twentieth century. When it has been possible to work out the date ranges over which the various pay scales apply, they have been given, when not, spot values are given instead. Restructuring of the pay scales took place in 1871, 1896, 1912, the mid 1930s and 1946. References to relevant archive files are given in brackets: RGO (Royal Greenwich Observatory Archive at Cambridge); ADM, WORK and T (former Admiralty and Treasury files at the Public Record Office Kew), MS (Royal Society)
This page should be read in conjunction with the pages pages listed below:
Background information
Pay of the Astronomers Royal & Directors, 1675–1998
Pay 1675–1811
Pay 1811–1835
Pay 1871–1945
Pay 1946–1998
Airy was first sounded out about his willingness to take on the office of Astronomer Royal in May 1834. He provisionally accepted the appointment on 10 October 1834, accepting it formally on 17 June 1835. He was paid at a new consolidated rate of £800 a year, with no separate allowance for coals or as Superintendent of Chronometers. Meanwhile, back in February 1835, while he was still the relatively poorly paid Director of the Observatory at Cambridge, he had been offered a pension of £300 a year form the Civil List from the Prime Minister with the option of either taking it himself, or having it settled on his wife Richarda. He chose the latter. It has to be a matter of some debate as to whether or not the pension should be regarded as an extension of Airy’s pay as Astronomer Royal. Given that pensions from the Civil List were granted to all his predecessors back to the time of Halley, it seems not unreasonable to regard it as such.
Airy negotiated a pay rise in 1856, taking his salary to £1000. When Richarda died in 1875, her pension ceased. Airy however managed to persuade the Admiralty to raise his pay by £200 to £1200 a year to compensate.
Under Airy, the pay system was restructured to the detriment of many of the staff. In addition, the six assistants were no longer referred to as First, Second and Extra Assistants, but as First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Assistant, the ranking (but not the pay) of all but the First Assistant being determined by length of service. When the Altazimuth Telescope was erected in 1847, a Seventh Assistant was employed.
In January 1836, the First and Sixth Assistants were both newly appointed and in receipt of fixed rent allowances of £50 and £20 a year respectively (RGO6/72/46). In January 1836, Airy was authorised at his request, to simplify the procedures for the remaining assistants, who in Pond’s time had had their housing and fuel and candles billed directly to the Observatory. Under the new procedures, they too were paid a fixed allowance. The Second and Third Assistants were given £60 each*, and the Fourth and Fifth, £20 each (RGO6/72/15–18). The total cash value of the new allowances was slightly less for the Second and Third Assistants and the same for the others. In November 1837, upon representations, particulary from Glaisher (the Sixth Assistant) about the inadequacy of the £20 allowances (which was now called a rent rather than a fuel and candles allowance), Airy sought to either have them increased to £30, or for the salaries of the three assistants who were receiving them to be increased instead. The allowances were duly increased to £30 with effect from 1 April 1838 (RGO6/72/80&81).
On arriving in office, Airy was appalled at the low pay of the Gate Keeper and sought permission from the Admiralty to raise it. The Gate Keeper was a Greenwich Penisoner and until Airy intervened, had been paid just 4 shillings a week on top of his pension. On 4 January 1836, the Admiralty approved the payment of an extra two shillings a week, provided he took on the extra duty of attending on the Assistants in their rooms. (RGO6/72/2 & 6). This rate of £15.12s a year had increased to £26 a year by 1863 (RGO6/76/12).
In 1836, during Airy’s first year as Astronomer Royal, his pay rates were as follows:
| Astronomer Royal (Airy) |
£1,100 + house (£1,100 = salary of £800 + pension of £300 paid to Mrs Airy) | ||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£180 + £60* housing allowance (with plans to reduce to £150 (+ £40?) for future incumbents) |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£140 + £60* housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T. Ellis) |
£100 + £20 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £20 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher) | £100 + £20 housing allowance | ||
| Labourer** (Hall(e)y) |
18 shillings a week (equivalent to about £47 a year) |
||
| Gate Keeper |
6 shillings a week (equivalent to £15.12s a year) |
||
| Watchman |
£32.10s. (paid at 10s a week in the summer quarters and 15s a week in the winter ones) |
*Although Airy has a reputation for being a meticulous record keeper, there is contradictory evidence as to the size of the allowances paid to the Second Assistant, Henry, and the Third Assistant, Richardson. Writing to the Admiralty on 9 January 1836, Airy recommended that both should be given an allowance of £60. (RGO6/72/15–18) Writing to John Quincy Adams of the Harvard Observatory on 10 April 1839, Airy gives a figure for their consolidated salaries (pay & allowances together), which imply an allowance was £40. The published returns for Official Houses and Buildings for 1844 give a figure of £60. The Navy Estimates for 1844/5 and 1845/6 are the first to quantify the total amount paid as housing allowances for the Assistants. They imply a figure for Henry and Richardson of £60. Richardson resigned in October 1845. For reasons as yet unexplained, in 1847/8, Henry appears to have had his salary raised from £210 to £250 and his allowance reduced to £40. At the same time, the allowance of the First Assistant was increased from £50 to £70.
**The pay of the Labourer had been 18 shillings a week since at least 1818 and remained at that level until 1873, when it was increased to 21 shillings a week.
The first computers to work at the Observatory began to be employed in 1836. Initially, they were employed specifically to reduce the more ancient observations: first the Planetary and Lunar Observations made between 1750 and 1830, which were carried out under the supervision of Hugh Breen and published in 1845 and 1848, and later the Lunar Observations made between 1831 and 1851, which were carried out under the supervision of Mr John Lucas and published in 1859, after which he supervised the Reductions of the Magnetic Observations made between 1848 and 1857 (Ref: Airy autobiography). Both Breen and Lucas were employed as supernumerary computers, but at a significantly higher rate than those they supervised.
In 1842, Airy had sought permission to employ an additional assistant. Before this could be granted, he amended the request and asked instead to be authorised to employ ‘occasional computers’ to the same pecuniary value. The request was granted, and so began the regular employment of computers on a temporary and short term basis under such regulations as Airy might think fit. To start with, Airy seems to have simply redeployed some of the computers from the Lunar Reductions team on a somewhat ad hoc basis. As well as their computing work, some of the computers were also trained as stand in observers. In 1845, Airy had £120 to spend on their salaries.
In August 1842, many of the computers had just received a pay rise and were employed at the following rates per year: £162 plus one shilling a week allowance as attendant (Breen), £84, £72, £66, £66, £60, £60, £60, £48, £48, £48, £42 & £36 (RGO6/535).
On 1 Jan 1860, Lucas was receiving a salary of £108 a year. By comparison, the salaries of the other 10 computers (of all classes) were £66, £54, £54, £51, £45, £57, £54, £46, £42 & £42 (RGO6/75/106).
In 1863, there were 10 Computers on the books on salaries of: £66, £66, £54, £54, £48, £42, £42, £36, £36 & £30 a year (RGO6/76/12).
(RGO6/72f96&103).
There is no simple pay formula that applies to the years 1836–1870. The amount received depended partly on rank, partly on ability and partly on Airy’s willingness to fight on behalf of individuals. Indeed, writing to the Hydrographer of the Navy, Captain Beaufort, in 1841, Airy said: ‘it would be useless to increase the salaries by any general rule, the thing needed is, to increase them in special instances which I can point our better than any body else’ (RGO6/72/134&135). He continued by requesting an Order in Council to raise the maximum amounts that the assistants could in theory be paid.
As a result, the best way to understand how the pay system worked for the Astronomical Assistants during this period is to look at individual pay on a year by year basis.
The awarding of triennial increments to the Second and Third assistants that had begun during Pond’s time came to an abrupt halt, the decision for which appears to have come from the Admiralty rather than Airy (RGO6/72/3). Airy was told that the Second Assistant Belville’s salary was to stop at £180 (which it was already at) and that that of the Third (Richardson) was to stop at £150 (it rose to this level in 1838). These two assistants were told of the new arrangements by Airy in a letter. Belville did not challenge this at the time, but did enquire in 1838 as to why the latest increment had not been paid. Airy wrote to the Admiralty on his behalf, but they were adamant that no further increment should be paid (RGO6/72/93-95). Airy intervened again on both Belville’s and Richardson’s behalf in 1841 (RGO6/72/147), but was again rebuffed. Following a further appeal in 1843 by Belville to Airy, and then Airy to the Admiralty, increments were reinstated for both assistants (RGO6/72/195&248). This involved paying a double increment as so many years had lapsed. Rather curiously though, there is no correspondence in the archives from Richardson on this matter.
In 1846, it was decreed that ‘New salaries are not to have triennial rise without special sanction’. From that date on, no assistant received any kind of annual increment until the pay system was reformed in 1871. Belville was subsequently promoted and Richardson suspended. Individual pay rises were occasionally given on merit (with Admiralty approval). On the whole, these rises were not instigated in the first instance by the Astronomer Royal, but by individuals writing to him and asking him to intercede on their behalf. There was distinctly no collective bargaining! By and large, longer serving assistants were paid more than those who had served less time. But the system of paying by perceived merit did lead in the 1860s to the Sixth and Seventh Assistants being paid more than the Fifth (the ranking of the assistants at this time being determined by length of service).
Although Airy was meticulous about many aspects of record keeping and writing up for posterity the histories of the buildings and instruments, he took no such interest in his staff. Amazingly, he didn’t even keep a running list for his own reference on what salary rises had been awarded and to whom. In the 1860’s, he had to resort to combing through the accumulated records of correspondence in order to compile an aide-memoir to assist him in developing his plans for reforming the assistants’ pay. His use of the phrase: ‘1846 Nov 28 seems to be the same’, suggests this was easier said than done. (RGO6/76/31&32).
By order of council dated 30 September 1835, limits were put on salaries as follows: First assistant, £400: Second and Third £150, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth £100, each with a moderate allowance for house rent. (RGO6/72/137)
On 11 August 1841, By Order of Council, and at Airy’s request, the upper limits on the salaries that might be paid were raised as follows: First Assistant £400: the Second and Third assistants (who Airy termed the second class assistants), £250: the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth assistants (the third class assistants) £200, each, all with a moderate allowance for house rent (RGO6/72/143). It seems unlikely however that the assistants themselves were ever aware of these limits. We know from Dunkin’s later autobiography, that the Second and Third Assistants were categorised by the Admiralty as ‘Senior Class Assistants’ while the Fourth assistant and those below him were classed as ‘Junior Assistants’.
In 1843, the salaries of the Second and Third Assistants were raised in 1843 to £200 and £170 respectively, the salaries of the remainder of the establishment however remained at their 1836 level. When the authorised staffing was increased in 1845 to include a Seventh assistant, the initial rate of pay was set at £100 with a £30 housing allowance – the same as that of the other lower paid assistants.
The building of the Magnetic Observatory in 1838 added an extra layer of complexity to the salary structure. Initially, it was only used to make observations on just eight specific days in 1839 in conjunction with other magnetic observatories around the world, but in 1840, plans began to evolve to take observations at Greenwich on a daily basis. The original proposal by Airy was to pay the First Assistant an additional allowance of £100 a year and employ two assistants at £130 a year and one at £190 (including an allowance for house rent. (RGO6/72/112). This evolved to an extra £100 for the First Assistant and an extra £60 for Glaisher with three additional assistants to be under Glaisher’s direction on salaries of £120 a year. (RGO6/72/118). This was put into effect in the autumn of 1840 on the initial expectation that the employment of the three additional assistants would terminate on 30 Sep 1843. (RGO6/72/122). In January 1843, this was extended to 1845 (RGO6/72/191). It is not clear for how long the extra allowance was paid to the First Assistant as the records relating to this aspect of the Observatory’s work are rather thin on the ground. His allowance may have ceased in 1843, but since his basic pay was raised from £300 to £400 a year in 1847, it seems likley that the allowance continued to be paid and was subsequently subsumed into his basic pay.
The Astronomer Royal and Astronomical Assistants were paid from the Navy Estimates. The Magnetic Assistants on the other hand, were paid from the Imprest Account, at a lower rate and without a housing allowance as a consequence of the original intention that neither they nor the Magnetic Observatory would not be a permanent institution.
Glaisher who had originally been employed as an Astronomical Assistant, received payments on both counts when in 1840 he was promoted to become Superintendent of the Magnetic Department, (In 1848, this was £100 + £40 housing as the Fifth Astronomical Assistant, supplemented by an additional £100 salary from the Imprest Account). By 1853, the whole of his salary appears to have been paid by the Admiralty as a result of his rise in seniority following the deaths of Thomas Ellis and William Rogerson. Originally, there had been three additional assistants working in the Magnetic Observatory (on a salary of £120 each), but this was reduced to just one in 1849 following the introduction of photographic recording. The salaries of the Magnetic Assistants on the other hand continued to be paid from the Imprest account until the financial year 1868/9 when they were paid instead by the Admiralty. The salary of the Astronomical Assistant remained at £120 until the new pay scales were introduced in 1871.
Any changes to salaries or allowances are highlighted in bold.
Apr 1836 – Mar 1838 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£180 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£140 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£100 + £20 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £20 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher) | £100 + £20 housing allowance |
Apr 1838– Mar 1839 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£180 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£140 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1839 – Oct 1840 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance |
||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£180 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£150 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Nov 1840 – Mar 1843 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance + £100 ‘on account of [the] Magnetic Observatory’ | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£180 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£150 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £160* + £30 housing allowance |
*Includes an allowance of £60 a year for Superintending the Magnetical and Meteorological Department
April 1843 – Oct 1845 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance * | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£200 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Richardson) |
£170 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Fourth Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £160* + £30 housing allowance |
*It is not clear what additional allowances were available for the magnetic work between 1843 and 1847. An allowance may or may not have continued to be paid to Main. At some point, Glaisher's allowance of £60 on top of his salary as an Astronomical Assistant was raised to £100, bringing his total salay to £200 by 1847/8 (date of rise currently unknown).
Nov 1845 – Mar 1846 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance * |
||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£200 + £60 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £160* + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Dunkin) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
*It is not clear what additional allowances were available for the magnetic work between 1843 and 1847. An allowance may or may not have continued to be paid to Main. At some point, Glaisher's allowance of £60 on top of his salary as an Astronomical Assistant was raised to £100, bringing his total salay to £200 by 1847/8 (date of rise currently unknown).
Apr 1846– Mar 1847 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £300 + £50 housing allowance * |
||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£210 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £160* + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Dunkin) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
*It is not clear what additional allowances were available for the magnetic work between 1843 and 1847. An allowance may or may not have continued to be paid to Main. At some point, Glaisher's allowance of £60 on top of his salary as an Astronomical Assistant was raised to £100, bringing his total salay to £200 by 1847/8 (date of rise currently unknown).
Apr 1847– Mar 1848 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £50 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Dunkin) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1848– Mar 1849 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (T.Ellis) |
£200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Dunkin) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1849 – May 1852 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (T.Ellis)* |
£200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Rogerson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Dunkin) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
*Died 29 May 1852.
Jun 1852 – Apr 1853 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Rogerson)* | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fouth Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Dunkin) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Henderson) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
* Died 26 April 1853.
May 1853 – Apr 1854 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Dunkin) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Henderson)* | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (W.Ellis) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
* Resigned end of April 1854.
May 1854 – Mar 1855 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry) |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Dunkin) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (C. Todd) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1855 – Jul 1856 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Henry)* |
£250 + £40 housing allowance |
||
| Third Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £200 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Dunkin) | £150** + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Breen) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
* Died 13 July 1856.
** There is uncertainty as to exactly when Dunkin received the rise to £150 this year.
Aug 1856 – Mar 1857 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £250 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Breen) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Lynn) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Note: There is no overall increase in salary bill for assistants.
Apr 1857 – June 1859 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main) | £500 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £250 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (Breen)* | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Lynn) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
*Resigned Jan 1859, no new appointment made until July.
Jul 1859 – Sep 1860 |
|||
| First Assistant (Main)* | £500 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £250 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
* Resigned 30 Sep 1860
Oct 1860 – 14 Nov 1860 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone) | £350 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £250+ £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
15 Nov 1860 – Mar 1862 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone) | £350 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £300 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £100 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1862 – Mar 1864 or 65 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone) | £350 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £300 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £120 + £30 housing allowance |
Mar 1864 or 65 – Mar 1866 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £300 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £200 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £100 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £120 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £120 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1866 – Mar 1869 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone) | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £300 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £230 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £180 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £150 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £170 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £170 + £30 housing allowance |
Apr 1869 – summer 1870 |
|||
| First Assistant (Stone)* | £400 + £70 housing allowance | ||
| Second Assistant (Glaisher (also Sup of Mag & Met)) | £300 + £40 housing allowance | ||
| Third Assistant (Dunkin) | £230 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fourth Assistant (W.Ellis) | £180 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Fifth Assistant (Criswick) | £170 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Sixth Assistant (Lynn) | £170 + £30 housing allowance | ||
| Seventh Assistant (Carpenter) | £170 + £30 housing allowance |
* Resigned summer 1870 and replaced by Christie.
In the last quarter of 1837, Airy employed an ocassional clerk, W Constantine to catalogue the library for which he was paid £2.2s a week. He was subsequently kept on to carry out other duties. On 23 May 1838, Airy was authorised by the Admiralty to keep him on at the same rate until the end of September 1838 (RGO6/72/88&89).
| Pay 1811–1835 | Pay 1871–1945 |
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