William Samuel Stratford (22 May 1789 – 29 March 1853) was an
English astronomer born in
Eltham,
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
.
He joined the
Royal Navy in 1806 under the command of Sir
Sidney Smith. In 1815, he retired at half-pay with the rank of lieutenant.
He won a silver medal from the
Royal Astronomical Society in 1827; this was the second and last occasion on which such medals were awarded, with the society awarding only
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
s thereafter. He was Secretary of the society from 1825 to 1831.
From 1831 until his death he was Superintendent of
HM Nautical Almanac Office. He was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1832
[ ]
See also
*
References
External links
MNRAS 14 (1854) 115 Obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratford, William Samuel
1789 births
1853 deaths
People from Eltham
19th-century British astronomers
Royal Navy officers
Fellows of the Royal Society