43 
50 YEARS OF YORK METEOROLOOY. 
1841—1890. 
The subject has been studied here for a much longer period 
than 50 years ; but at present the original records are not at 
hand, except after 1863. In 1800 Mr. J. Grray began observa¬ 
tions of temperature and wind, which were continued to 18fM. 
From 1811 to 1824 he recorded the rain also. 
A break then occurred until 1831, when Prof. Phillips took 
up the work. In 1834 Mr. John Ford, the Principal of the 
Friends’ School, became Honorary Curator. This position he 
tilled most efficiently until his death in 1875. 
In 1872 York became a daily reporting station of the London 
Meteorological Office, under Mr. R. II. Scott. From soon 
after that date, when these official returns were used, we have 
a first-class guarantee of accuracy of records. For earlier years 
there are, unfortunately, no adecjuate data. But, remembering 
that they were inaugurated and freely used by Prof. Phillips, 
the care taken by Mr. John Ford, the fact that the station was 
so selected, and the manner in which the values agree with 
each other, we can rest assured of fair reliability. The 
barometer records are from the same instrument up to 1874 ; 
the thermometers, since 1831, from standard instruments, 
and the rain-gauge the same. If and how often the last was 
changed, is what we should speciall}" like to know. Mr. John 
Ford made the returns from his own observations at the 
Friends’School, first outside Walmgate Bar to 1845, then close to 
the Y.P.S. Glrounds, in Bootham, until 1873. These were 
verified by the Y.P.S. observations, which were used for the 
tables after 1873 ; the rainfall after 1872. As regards Mr. 
Gray’s returns, his gauge was 3 ft. above the ground From 
Prof. Phillips’ observations we learn that sucii a gauge, at 
York, collects about 3 3 per cent, less than at the usual height. 
Makino: this correction, the values aoree closely with those 
of subsequent years. In monthly comparisons and variation 
we can take, of course, a safe stand, so it is proposed to direct 
special attention to these.* 
*Since this was sent to the printer, the inrportant fact came to light referred 
to in the note on next page, under Pressure. This, of course, involved 
considerable alterations in the text. 
Earlier Records 
Connection 
with !Meteoro- 
log-ical office. 
Reliability. 
