ASTKONOMICAL SOCIETY. 49 



gave a good deal of attention to antiquarian research, pub- 1831. 

 lished a quarto volume on the coins and other antiquities 

 of Hartwell House, whither he went some years after to 

 take charge of Dr. Lee's observatory. I think that my 

 husband's intercourse with his co-secretary, Admiral 

 Manners, was at first chiefly official ; but in after years 

 we saw more of him, and he continued till death our 

 cordial friend. 



Mr. and Mrs. Bishop were living at South Villa, George 

 Regent's Park. Mr. Bishop was at one time President 

 and for many years treasurer of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society. His love of science never abated while he lived, 

 and it led him to undertake a difficult study at an age 

 when most men hold elementary learning out of the 

 question. Shortly after this time he came to Mr. De 

 Morgan for lessons in algebra, in order to read the 

 Mecanique Celeste. The little observatory in the Regent's 

 Park was rendered famous by Mr. Hind's discovery of 

 many asteroids. 



It was at Mr. Baily's suggestion that in the year 1827 Nautical 

 or 1828, the state of the Nautical Almanac was made the 

 subject of Government inquiry. This ephemeris, which 

 was under the management of the Admiralty, had not, as 

 to the information it afforded to navigators, kept pace with 

 Continental works of the same character ; and its defects 

 and errors were great in comparison with theirs. The 

 Board of Longitude had suggested improvement, but this 

 Board was dissolved in 1827, and there seemed to be no 

 hope that the work, upon which the navigation of the 

 country greatly depended, should be brought to that 

 degree of perfection which the amount of scientific know- 

 ledge in England rendered possible. A strong remon- 

 strance from Mr. Baily drew attention to the matter, and 

 after some discussion in various quarters, the Commis- 

 sioners of the Admiralty entrusted to the Astronomical 

 Society the task of revising and remodelling the Nautical 

 Almanac. A committee was appointed and a Report 



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