35 
The Astronomical Observatory and 
Meteorological Station. 
It may be here recalled that in 1899 a Committee was formed 
for the purpose of accepting the gift of an Astronomical Telescope 
offered by Colonel Heberden. This Committee became the Council 
of the Hampstead Scientific Society. By permission of the London 
County Council this telescope was housed in an Observatory in 
the Bathing Pond enclosure on the East Heath. In the succeed- 
ing years, while the membership of the Society and its activities 
increased, the telescope was little used, owing to the unsuitability 
of the site and the difficulty of access. 
Members will hardly need reminding that in the summer of 
1907 the Council of the Society applied to the London County 
Council for leave to move the Observatory House to the Flagstaff 
enclosure and to add a Meteorological Station ; that leave was given 
and a licence issued. They will remember that on the proposal 
becoming known a strong opposition was manifested in the London 
Press to the use of the site for the purpose, culminating in a lead- 
ing article in The Times on Nov. 8, 1907, some members of the 
Society joining in the protest ; and that the Council of the Society 
withdrew the proposal in face of the unexpected opposition. It 
may interest members to hear some details of the investigations 
that have since been made, the negotiations that ensued, and the 
steps taken that have led to the successful carrying out of the 
long-felt desire of the Council to possess an Astronomical Observa- 
tory and Meteorological Station in a suitable position. 
Mention should be made of the encouragement given to the 
Council in the pursuit of this object by the gift to the Society 
by Dr. F. Womack of a telescope superior to that formerly in 
the possession of the Society. The desire for a Meteorological 
Station was prompted by Dr. Hugh Robert Mill. At the Conference 
of Delegates of Corresponding Societies at the British Association 
Meeting held at York in 1906, Dr. Mill pointed out that valuable 
meteorological work could be done by local Societies (see Report 
and Proceedings of the Hampstead Scientific Society, 1906, p. 26), 
Encouragement was given by him at the lecture he delivered 
before the Society on December 7th of the same year (Ibid. p. 16). 
From that time to this his advice has been frequently asked and 
freely given. 
As it seemed hopeless to look to the London County Council 
