Monday July 30, 1894

Arranged mounting of reflecting prism for spectroscope on adapter carried by telescope. This work was put in hand by Niblett.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The spectroscope used on the 28-inch telescope was designed by Christie, though as we see here it was the indispensable Niblett who undertook the practical work. The spectroscope can be seen in use in the photograph if you click on the link above.

Saturday July 28, 1894

Tried adjustment of Spectroscope on 28ⁱⁿ telescope and altered posⁿ of Spectroscope collimator as the axis of pencil from O.G. was not reflected along coll^r axis.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Friday July 27, 1894

Dinner of British Institute of Public Health at Lincoln’s Inn. Proposed toast of “Sanitary & other Statutory Authorities”.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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H says..... The BIPH was soon to receive its charter, becoming the Royal Institute of Public Health in 1897.

Wednesday July 25, 1894

M^r A.N. Wollaston (Assis^t Sec^y India Office) called to enquire about the Photoheliograph for India. I mentioned to him the difficulties about arranging for meetings of Indian Obs^y Com^ee & proposed that there should be a fixed date for the meeting & that a clerk from India Office should act as Sec^y. Letters were written to him subsequently to this effect.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... Christie arranged for identical photoheliograph telescopes to be used in India and Mauritius to fill in gaps of the Greenwich series of sunspot photographs caused by cloudy weather. The Indian Observatory Committee of the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society had been set up in 1885 to monitor the efficiency of the Bombay and Madras observatories. In 1897 it was merged with the Observatories Committee.

Monday July 23, 1894

Went to Troughton & Simms’ in afternoon & arranged about alterations to astrographic micrometer & to position circle micrometer for 28 inch telescope. Ordered a new positive & a new negative eyepiece for 28in telescope power 1000. Inspected new altazimuth, the telescope, axis & circles being mounted in position. Approved of patterns for mounting of collimators. During my absence Minifie the labourer fell from a tree in the garden, from a height of about 25 feet. He fell on his back but, though much shaken, was not seriously injured. He was cutting off a branch which interfered with the sunshine register.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... Poor Minifie: a near-martyr of meteorological science.

Friday July 20, 1894

Meeting of Boreman Governors at Greenwich at 1. Dinner & reception at Imperial Institute to commemorate 25^th anniversary of telegraphic communication to the far East.The astrographic micrometer taken away by M^r Simms for adaptation of a new millimetre scale, position circle & clamp to plate carrier, and focussing adjustment to microm. microscope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... Christie's meeting was of the charitable Boreman Foundation, named after Sir William Boreman who, in the 17th century, bequeathed a school in Greenwich and various to the Drapers' Company. The William Boreman Nautical School was absorbed into the Greenwich Hospital School in 1886 but the charity continued (and still continues) to provide scholarships and other financial assistance.

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The Imperial Institute, later the Commonwealth Institute, was founded in 1887 to carry out scientific research that supported agricultural, industrial and commercial development of the colonies and dominions. In 1894 the Institute had just moved into its new buildings in South Kensington. All that survives is Queen's Tower, now part of Imperial College.

Thursday July 19, 1894

Meeting of Jubilee Almshouses Trustees at 5.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... With apologies for current delays in posting, due to illness and/or conferences.

Friday July 13, 1894

Went to Sandwich this evening returning Monday evening July 16.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Thursday July 12, 1894

Went to Boulogne & back by sea from Tilbury in La Marguerite on the invitation of Sir W. Pearce.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... All this sounds like a jolly day out, though as the details appear in the journal it is probable that Christie was a guest in his official capacity. I presume that this is Sir William George Pearce (1861-1907), son of Sir William Pearce the Clydesdale shipbuilder. At this time, Pearce junior was MP for Plymouth and had just about run his father's company, the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, into the ground (he hired a general manager in 1894 who revived its fortunes). La Marguerite was a paddle steamer built and owned by this company, and was undergoing trials this year. It was one of three designed as excursion ships on the River Thames, and La Marguerite sailed to Margate and Boulogne for ten years.

Monday July 9, 1894

Went to distribution of Prizes at Greenwich Hospital School by the Prince of Wales at noon.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says.... Officially renamed the Royal Hospital School in 1892, this institution occupied the buildings that now house the National Maritime Museum. Originally an institution that provided for the children of the Naval pensioners at the neighbouring Royal Hospital for Seamen, from the 1840s to the 1930s it trained boys with a seafaring background for service in the Royal Navy. Its provision of scientific and mathematical training was particularly notable and there was an observatory in the school grounds. This, through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, had been provided with instruments from the brief-lived St Helena Observatory (1828-1835). The Prince of Wales was Queen Victoria's son and the future Edward VII.

Friday July 6, 1894

Went to Sandwich this evening returning Sunday evening July 8

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Thursday July 5, 1894

M^r Maunder having pointed 28ⁱⁿ telescope on the Sun to adjust the spectroscope the plane mirror for diagonal view cracked in three pieces.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says.... This was the half-mirror spectroscope designed by Christie himself - if you click on the 28-inch link above you will see a photograph of Maunder using it.

Tuesday July 3, 1894

Ladies’ dinner of Drapers’ Company. Royal Academy soirée.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal