. History of the Kew Observatory. 



53 



KEW OBSERVATORY UNDER THE BRITISH 

 ASSOCIATION. 



This period naturally divides itself into two intervals, the first of 

 ten years, 1842 to 1851, when Mr. (afterwards Sir Francis) Ronalds, 

 F.R.S., acted as Honorary Superintendent. In 1852, the second 

 period of twenty years commenced, and the Kew Committee first 

 appeared as actually taking control of the establishment, with Mr. 

 John Welsh, F.R.S., as Superintendent. The Committee had been 

 formally constituted in 1849, as shown by the following extract : — 



Extract from the First Minute Booh of the Kew Committee of the 

 British Association. 



" At a Meeting of the Council of the British Association, held at 

 6, Queen Street Place, London, October 25, 1849 — 



" Present : 



Sir Charles Malcolm, K.C.B., in the Chair, succeeded by Robert 

 Hutton, Esq. ; 



W. J. Hamilton, Esq. ; 1 Dr. Forbes Royle ; 

 Robert Hutton, Esq. ; Lieut.- Colonel Sabine ; 



Francis Ronalds, Esq. ; John Taylor, Esq. ; 

 It was resolved that the following gentlemen be named as a Com- 

 mittee for visiting and exercising a general superintendence over 

 the experiments and observations to be made at Kew ; and that the 

 Council are persuaded that the Members of the Committee will render 

 a good service to science, and will entitle themselves to the cordial 

 thanks of the British Association, if they will regard themselves as 

 Members of a real working Committee : — 



Sir J. W. Herschel, Bart. ; 

 J. P. Grassiot, Esq. ; 

 Colonel Reid, Royal Engineers ; 

 Colonel Sykes ; 

 Charles Wheatstone, Esq. ; 

 in addition to the President, Trustees, and Officers of the Association." 



The first Report of the Committee, signed by Mr. Gassiot as 

 Chairman, was that for 1853. In 1859 Mr. Welsh died, and was 

 succeeded by Mr. Balfour Stewart, F.R.S., who held office for twelve 

 years, up to August, 1871, when the connection of the Observatory 

 with the Association was terminated, as will be explained sub- 

 sequently. 



The first notice we find in the Reports of the Association as to 



