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Henry Ussher (astronomer)
Henry Ussher (1741–1790) was an Irish mathematician and astronomer, best known as the inaugural Andrews Professor of Astronomy at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), a title later accompanied with the designation Royal Astronomer of Ireland. Ussher was a key player in the setting up of Dunsink Observatory outside the city of Dublin, and was its first director. Life Henry was the fourth son of Samuel Ussher, rector of Dunganstown, County Wicklow, by his wife Frances Walsh. Elected a Scholar of Trinity College Dublin in 1759, he graduated B.A. in 1761, M.A. in 1764, B.D. and D.D. in 1779. He was elected to a fellowship in 1764, and co-opted senior fellow in 1781. He was Donegall Lecturer in Mathematics at TCD 1769-1770. Appointed on 22 Jan 1783, the first Andrews Professor of Astronomy, Ussher went to London to order instruments for the planned Dunsink Observatory from Jesse Ramsden. These included: a small achromatic lens telescope, mounted on a polar axis, and carried by a heliosta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrews Professor Of Astronomy
The Andrews Professor of Astronomy is a chair in astronomy in Trinity College Dublin was established in 1783 in conjunction with the establishment of Dunsink Observatory. Dunsink was founded in 1785 following a bequest by Provost Francis Andrews in 1774, which also funded the professorship. It was regulated by a new Statute of Trinity College Dublin, which required the professor to "make regular observations of the heavenly bodies ... and of the sun, moon and planets". The chair was suspended in 1921 and in 1947 the observatory passed to Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. In 1984 the professorship was revived as an honorary title in the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics. From 1793, under letters patent of King George III, the Andrews Professor held the title Royal Astronomer of Ireland. This title fell vacant in 1921 and has not been revived. List of the professors * 1783-1790: Henry Ussher (1741–1790) * 1790-1827: John Brinkley (1763–1835) * 1827-1865: Willi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Ussher
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Ussher KCH CB (1779 – 6 January 1848) was an Anglo-Irish officer of the British Royal Navy who served with distinction during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and who in 1814 conveyed Napoleon Bonaparte into exile in Elba. He was nicknamed Undaunted Ussher. Biography Origins Thomas Ussher was born in Dublin, the son of Henry Ussher, the Andrews Professor of Astronomy at Trinity College, and Mary Burne. The Usshers were originally a Norman family named Nevill, one of which having come to Ireland with King John, took the surname Ussher from his official position. Early career Thomas Ussher entered the Royal Navy on 27 January 1791 at the age of 12 as a midshipman on board the 24-gun sixth-rate , under the command of Captain William O'Bryen Drury. He served in Irish waters, then took part in an expedition to the Bight of Benin. In September 1793 he joined the 74-gun under Captain The Hon. Thomas Pakenham. ''Invincible'' was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
18th-century Irish Astronomers
The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 ( MDCCI) to December 31, 1800 ( MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. During the century, slave trading and human trafficking expanded across the shores of the Atlantic, while declining in Russia, China, and Korea. Revolutions began to challenge the legitimacy of monarchical and aristocratic power structures, including the structures and beliefs that supported slavery. The Industrial Revolution began during mid-century, leading to radical changes in human society and the environment. Western historians have occasionally defined the 18th century otherwise for the purposes of their work. For example, the "short" 18th century may be defined as 1715–1789, denoting the period of time between the death of Louis XIV of France and the start of the French Revolution, with an emphasis on directly interconnected events. To historians who expa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
