John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley (5 August 1798 – 27 October 1867) was an English

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

Life

Wrottesley was the son of

John Wrottesley, 1st Baron Wrottesley John Wrottesley, 1st Baron Wrottesley (4 October 1771 – 16 March 1841), known as Sir John Wrottesley, 9th Baronet, from 1787 to 1838, was a British soldier and Member of Parliament. Wrottesley was the son of Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet. ...

, and his first wife Lady Caroline Bennet, daughter of

Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville (15 November 1743 – 10 December 1822), styled Lord Ossulston from 1753 to 1767, was a British nobleman, a collector of shells Royal Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charitable organisation, charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, planetary science, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its ...

and served as its president from 1841 to 1842. In 1839 he received the

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society is the highest award given by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The RAS Council have "complete freedom as to the grounds on which it is awarded" and it can be awarded for any reason. Past awar ...

for his ''Catalogue of the Right Ascensions of 1,318 Stars''. In 1853 he called the attention of the House of Lords to Lieutenant Maury's valuable scheme of meteorological observations and discoveries, and on 30 November 1855 succeeded the Earl of Rosse as

President of the Royal Society The president of the Royal Society (PRS), also known as the Royal Society of London, is the elected Head of the Royal Society who presides over meetings of the society's council. After an informal meeting (a lecture) by Christopher Wren at Gres ...

. Wrottesley was President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1860, the year of the famous debate between Wilberforce and Huxley at the Association's Oxford meeting. The crater Wrottesley on the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

is named in honour of John Wrottesley. Lord Wrottesley died in October 1867, aged 69.

Family

On 28 July 1821 Wrottesley married Sophia Elizabeth (d. 13 January 1880), third daughter of Thomas Giffard of Chillington in Staffordshire. By her he had five sons and two daughters. His two youngest sons—Henry and Cameron—were killed in warfare. He was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony by his eldest son Arthur Wrottesley. George Wrottesley was his third son.

References

External links

Awarding of RAS gold medal

;Attribution 1798 births 1867 deaths 19th-century English astronomers Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Fellows of the Royal Society Presidents of the Royal Astronomical Society Presidents of the Royal Society Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge {{UK-baron-stub

Life

Family

See also

References

External links