| Authorised form of name | Lassell; William (1799 - 1880); astronomer |
| Dates | 1799 - 1880 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Bolton, Lancashire, England |
| Date of birth | 18 June 1799 |
| Place of death | Maidenhead, Berkshire |
| Date of death | 05 October 1880 |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Research field | Astronomy |
| Activity | Career:
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 category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 07/06/1849 |
| Royal Society activity | Medals and prizes:
Royal Medal 1858 |
| Sources | Sources:
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 File | http://viaf.org/viaf/22923231 |
| Royal Society code | NA7987 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| MC/6 | Volume 6 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1859-1863 |
| MC/8 | Volume 8 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1867-1869 |
| IM/002638 | Lassell, Willliam | 1992 |
| IM/002639 | Lassell, Willliam | nd |
| EC/1849/09 | Lassell, William: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| MM/19/110 | Letter from William Lassell to Thomas Bell, Secretary, Southern Telescope Committee | 2 July 1853 |
| MM/19/112 | Letter from Thomas Romney Robinson to Edward Sabine | 28 July 1853 |
| MC/7 | Volume 7 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1864-1866 |
| RR/6/250 | Referee's report by William Lassell, on a paper 'Description of the Great Melbourne telescope' by Thomas Romney Robinson and Thomas Grubb | 28 November 1868 |
| RR/7/383 | Letter from the Laurence Parsons, Earl of Rosse on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell | 15 February 1875 |
| RR/7/382 | Referee's report by Warren De La Rue, on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell | 25 January 1875 |
| RR/7/384 | Referee's report by Laurence Parsons, Earl of Rosse on a paper 'On polishing the specula of reflecting telescopes' by William Lassell | 5 February 1875 |
| MM/12/75 | Letter from William Lassell, Valletta, to Thomas Bell | 30 December 1852 |
| IM/Maull/002637 | Lassell, Willliam | nd |
| MC/6/182 | Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, 9 Stierna, via Torre, Malta, to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, [President of the Royal Society] | 26 November 1861 |
| MC/6/225 | Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, 9 Piazza Stierna, Malta, to General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society | 13 May 1862 |
| MC/6/364 | Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, Malta, to General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society | 7 November 1863 |
| MC/7/103 | Letter from H P Welian [?], honorary secretary to the Board of Visitors, the University Melbourne, to Major-General [Edward] Sabine, President of the Royal Society | 24 June 1864 |
| MC/7/234 | Copy letter from W P Wilson, Honorary Secretary of the Board of Visitors, to the Chief Secretary | 22 June 1864 |
| MC/8/175 | Letter from Wm [William] Lassell, Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, to Professor [George Gabriel] Stokes | 17 April 1868 |