Wednesday December 11, 1894

M^r Crisp came down to discuss new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday December 9, 1894

Went to Troughton & Simms about Astrographic micrometer, Posⁿ mic. of 28in telescope, new Altazimuth &c. M^r Simms gave me a specimen of Mantics’[?] ordinary dense flint (very transparent) for new photo-spectroscope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Friday November 30, 1894

Col. Wheatley (Bailiff of Parks) called with M^r Jordan (Super^t Greenwich Park) with reference to improvement of west boundary of Obs^y from point of view of Park. He proposed to access[?] portion of garden between existing fence & west wall of Lawn & west side of garden house. I told him that questions of modification of boundary should be considered as a whole & explained to him the modification I should propose round Physical Obs^y and on east side. It was understood that he would raise the question of the alteration of west fence.

Sir H. Thompson dined with me at R.S. anniversary dinner.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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D^r Dyson made an observation of the Sun’s Transit across two plumb lines to determine the Meridian line of the New Altazimuth. The result agreed closely with the line obtained by M^r Nash by Magnetic Observations. The two plumb lines were 37^ft apart. The Centre of the Sun & the second limb crossed the line 5^s too soon: giving an error of 2^s. M^r Nash’s line was compared with Col: Tupman’s & agreed well.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Christie's plans for the Physical Observatory had always required that a small parcel of land from the Royal Park be brought within the Royal Observatory's boundary. His tagging of this issue onto the question of improving the western boundary around Flamsteed House is decidedly sneaky.

30 November, St Andrew's Day, is the anniversary of the Royal Society's foundation in 1660: 2010 (or technically 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2010) will be a celebration of the Society's 350th anniversary.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tupman, mentioned by Dyson, had had a connection with the Royal Observatory in 1874, having organised one of the transit of Venus observing expeditions, but archives from the Observatory in Cambridge show that he continued observing at Hillfoot Observatory in Harrow.

Thursday November 29, 1894

Meeting of Ratcliffe Trustees[?] at 9 a.m.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This entry is rather illegible, but my reading suggests that this relates to a meeting of the managers of the Oxford Radcliffe Observatory.

Wednesday November 28, 1894

Meeting of Blue Coat Trustees at 5.30

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The Blue Coat charity was founded to provide schooling to poor children, who would wear the eponymous blue coats to school. The meeting that Christie attended probably related to the Greenwich Blue Coat School, now incorporated into the Blackheath Bluecoat School.

Monday November 26, 1894

M^r Crisp came down & discussed various questions about the new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Tuesday November 20, 1894

Three wires of Altazimuth reported broken by M^r Bryant. The plate holding them was sent to Mess^rs Troughton & Simms.

The position wires of the 28ⁱⁿ Micrometer reported broken, by M^r Lewis. M^r Niblett told to repair them.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Monday November 19, 1894

Meeting of Sub Com^ee for Photographic Exhibⁿ at Imperial Institute 3.30.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal