| Description | Present at the meeting: The President; Mr Robarts; Mr Burnet; Dr Sloane; Mr Barret; Mr Pettiver; Dr Halley
' The President ordered that a Letter be written to Mr Flamsteed, to send the Society his observtions of the year 1713 and that he sign them himself as his own, and not his servant, as the last year. And that he be directed to observe the moon as often as occasion shall offer. The President read the Letter of my Lord Bullingbrook to the Office of Ordinance as follows -
Whitehall 12 th December 1710
Gentlemen
I send you enclosed by the Queens Command a Copy of her Majesty's Letter to the Royal Society, appointing the President and in his absence the Vice President together with such others as the Council of the said Royal Society shall think fit to Joyn with them to be Constant Visitors of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and I am at the same time to signifie her Majesty's Pleasure to you that you do receive and take notice of such Representations as the said Visitors shall think fitt to make to your Board concerning her Majesty's Instruments at any time remaining in the said Observatory; and that you Order them to be repaired, erected or changed as there shall be occasion ; and if any Instruments be now there which do not belong to her Majesty You are to give necessary Directions for purchasing the same. Her Majesty is likewise pleased to direct that you should have regard to any Complaints the said Visitors may make to you of the misbehaviour of her Majesty's Astronomer and Keeper of the Said Observatory in the Execution of his Office.
I am Gentlemen
Your most humble Servant
H. St. John
At the same time the following draught of a Letter to the Office of Ordinance was read and approved -
Gentlemen
Her Majesty having authorised our President or Vice President and such of the Council of the Royal Society shall nominate to be Visitors of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich; and we are the Said Visitors understanding that a Letter dated 12 December 1710 was then by he Majesty's Order sent to your Board by the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Bolingbrook Principal Secretary of State Signifying her Majesty's Pleasure that you do receive and take notice of such representations as the said Visitors should make to your Board concerning her Majesty's Instruments in the Said Observatory and that you should order them to be repaired erected or Changed as there shall be occasion or purchased for the Observatory if any be there which do not belong to her Majesty and her Majesty having sent to the Royal Society fresh Orders to take care of the said Observatory : we the visitors aforesaid take the Liberty to represent to you, That in the great Room of the Observatory up one pair of stairs there are two clocks with Inscriptions upon them signifying that Sir Jonas caused them to be made. Those two Clocks or two others as good are requisite for that Room.
That in the Same Room there is a brass Quadrant of four feet Radius for Observing the Altitudes of the Sun and Stars. It is not well divided, either this or a new one of the same size is requisite for that Room.
That in the same Room there is wanting also a good Telescope of about eight feet Radius furnished with a good micrometer, and another good Telescope of about sixteen feet Radius.
That in the Garden there being a shed with a sextant a wall Quadrant and a Clock therein, the Shed should be removed six or eight yards further from the brow of the Hill that the ground may not sink under it And the western Wall should be thick and firm with a broad foundation that it may not warp, because the wall Quadrant is to be fixed upon it. The Sextant is grown rusty and should be cleaned, and there should be a new wall Quadrant made the old one being much worse by long usage and belonging as we hear to Mr Flamsteed. The clock is also said to be Mr Flamsteed and a better Clock would be more usefull. If you please to give order to an able workman to repair these Instruments and make new ones where they are wanting, and to another workman to take care of removing the shed in the Garden some of us will go with them to Greenwich and shew them what is wanting to be done and five the best advice they can for doing every thing after the best manner. We are Gentlemen Your most humble Servants.
Ordered that Dr Thorpe do inspect and taxe the Bills of the Workmen that were employed in repairing the Society's house and they to be paid out of the growing rents of the House.
It was upon Ballot, ordered that a Committee named to Inspect the Observatory at Greenwich in the Council of December 14th be a Standing Committee of Visitors for the same and likewise that Mr James Pound be added to the said Committee.
Dr Brofield Mr Keck and Mr Nicholas Bernoulli were proposed Candidates ballotted for and approved .
Ordered that Mr Hunts and Dr Thorps arrears of Salary being £20 to Mr Hunt and £30 to Dr Thorpe be paid and that the Treasurer pay them in Course as they became due. ' |