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Authorised form of nameLassell; William (1799 - 1880); astronomer
Dates1799 - 1880
NationalityBritish
Place of birthBolton, Lancashire, England
Date of birth18 June 1799
Place of deathMaidenhead, Berkshire
Date of death05 October 1880
OccupationMerchant
Research fieldAstronomy
ActivityCareer:
Apprentice in a merchant's office, Liverpool; began to construct telescopes (1820); set up as a brewer (1825); built an observatory at Starfield, near Liverpool (1840); discovered Neptune's satellite (1846); built a telescope at Valetta, Malta and used it to make observations; returned to England and set up an observatory near Maidenhead
Memberships:
FRAS
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election07/06/1849
Royal Society activityMedals and prizes:
Royal Medal 1858
SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB
Obituaries:
Proc Roy Soc 1880-1881 vol 31 pp vii-x
References:
A A Mills and R Hall, 'The Production of a Plane Surface. As Illustrated by Specula From Some Early Newtonian Telescopes' in NR 1982-83 vol 37 pp 147-166
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/22923231
Royal Society codeNA7987
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
IM/002638Lassell, Willliam1992
IM/002639Lassell, Willliamnd
EC/1849/09Lassell, William: certificate of election to the Royal Society
MM/19/110Letter from William Lassell to Thomas Bell, Secretary, Southern Telescope Committee2 July 1853
MM/19/112Letter from Thomas Romney Robinson to Edward Sabine28 July 1853
RR/7/382Referee's report by Warren De La Rue, on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell25 January 1875
RR/6/250Referee's report by William Lassell, on a paper 'Description of the Great Melbourne telescope' by Thomas Romney Robinson and Thomas Grubb28 November 1868
MM/12/75Letter from William Lassell, Valletta, to Thomas Bell30 December 1852
IM/Maull/002637Lassell, Willliamnd
MS/257/3/33Letter from William Lassell, Malta to Edward Sabine23 July 1864
RR/7/384Referee's report by Laurence Parsons, Earl of Rosse on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell5 February 1875
MC/6/225Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, 9 Piazza Stierna, Malta, to General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society13 May 1862
MC/6/182Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, 9 Stierna, via Torre, Malta, to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, [President of the Royal Society]26 November 1861
MC/6Volume 6 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1859-1863
MC/6/364Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, Malta, to General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society7 November 1863
MC/7/103Letter from H P Welian [?], honorary secretary to the Board of Visitors, the University Melbourne, to Major-General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society24 June 1864
MC/7/234Copy letter from W P Wilson, Honorary Secretary of the Board of Visitors, to the Chief Secretary22 June 1864
MC/7Volume 7 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1864-1866
MC/8/175Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, to Professor [George Gabriel] Stokes17 April 1868
MS/257/3/38Letter from William Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead to Edward Sabine12 December 1871
MS/257/3/39Letter from William Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead to Edward Sabine5 April 1872
MS/257/3/36Letter from William Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead to Edward Sabine24 March 1868
MC/8Volume 8 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1867-1869
MS/257/3/35Letter from William Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead to Edward Sabine30 September 1867
MS/257/3/31Letter from William Lassell, Malta to Edward Sabine3 December 1863
MS/257/3/34Letter from William Lassell, Malta to Edward Sabine23 March 1865
RR/7/383Letter from the Laurence Parsons, Earl of Rosse on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell15 February 1875
MS/426/843Copy letter from Edward Sabine; to William Lassell21 November 1863
HS/11/162Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool31 August 1861
MS/257/3/37Letter from William Lassell, Ray Lodge, Swanford, Wellingborough to Edward Sabine5 August 1871
HS/19/234Observations of the Satellites of Uranus, by William Lassell1847
HS/19/238Diagrams of position for new Satellites of Uranus, by William Lassell1851
HS/19/236Table of astronomical positions, by William Lassell1851
HS/19/237Diagrams of position for new Satellites of Uranus, by William Lassell1851
HS/19/239Index-map of stars based on Messier, by William Lassell1840s
HS/23/37Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood22 September 1848
HS/11/144Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool25 March 1852
HS/11/129Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Oakwood Hall near Stockport7 September 1846
HS/11/128Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool28 August 1846
HS/11/139Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell15 October 1848
HS/11/133Copy letter, from William Lassell to H. C. Schumacher, dated at Starfield, Liverpool6 August 1847
HS/11/143Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool24 March 1852
HS/11/159Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool26 July 1861
HS/11/168Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Ray Lodge, Maidenhead24 March 1868
HS/11/126Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool29 March 1843
HS/11/149Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool21 November 1853
HS/11/165Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Malta6 January 1863
HS/11/140Copy letter, from William Lassell to George Biddell Airy, dated at Starfield, Liverpool14 August 1850
HS/11/127Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool26 August 1846
HS/11/132Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool6 August 1847
HS/11/130Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool12 October 1846
HS/11/152Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool11 November 1857
HS/11/145Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool8 April 1852
HS/11/131Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool4 February 1847
HS/11/153Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood15 September 1858
HS/11/142Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool27 November 1851
HS/11/151Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood1 November 1857
HS/11/166Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Malta23 July 1864
HS/11/164Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at 9 Piazza Sliema, Malta17 December 1862
HS/11/167Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Malta6 October 1864
HS/11/163Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at 9 Piazza Sliema, Malta26 November 1861
HS/11/157Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool13 February 1860
HS/11/147Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool8 May 1852
HS/11/158Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool11 December 1860
HS/11/138Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool14 October 1848
HS/11/148Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Valletta10 December 1852
HS/11/125Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool10 March 1842
HS/11/155Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool17 September 1858
HS/11/156Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool8 February 1860
HS/11/137Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool13 October 1848
HS/11/141Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool3 November 1851
HS/11/150Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool29 October 1857
HS/11/134Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool14 August 1847
HS/11/160Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool23 August 1861
HS/11/146Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool27 April 1852
HS/11/135Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool22 January 1848
HS/23/121Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell28 April 1852
HS/23/317Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood13 November 1860
HS/23/278Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood23 September 1859
HS/22/283Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Southampton13 September 1846
HS/22/285Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood1 October 1846
HS/24/63Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood23 October 1864
HS/23/4Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood19 January 1848
HS/22/280Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood28 August 1846
HS/23/297Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood11 February 1860
HS/23/271Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood27 August 1859
HS/23/373Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood4 May 1862
HS/25/14/18Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at [Collingwood]1851-11-4 or later
HS/23/109Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at 32 Harley St.4 November 1851
HS/23/209Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood21 October 1857
HS/23/39Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood11 October 1848
HS/22/114Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood20 March 1842
HS/22/298Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood1 February 1847
HS/11/136Letter, from William Lassell to Sir John Herschel, dated at Starfield, Liverpool31 January 1848
HS/19/235Observations of the Satellites of Uranus, by William Lassell1847
HS/23/239Copy of letter, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at Collingwood15 September 1858
HS/22/326Copy of postscriptum, from Sir John Herschel to William Lassell, dated at CollingwoodAugust 1847
HS/11/161Letter, from William Lassell to Sir Benjamin Brodie, dated at Sandfield Park near Liverpool29 August 1861
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