Person Mendoza y Rios; Joseph (? 1762 - 1816); astronomer and mathematician Mendoza y Rios Joseph astronomer and mathematician Josef José ? 1762 - 1816 Spanish Male Parish of St Vincent, Seville, Spain 15 September 1762, 1763 or 1764 Brighton, Sussex, England 2 or 4 March 1816 Burial: Church of St Nicholas, Brighton, England.

New Steine, Brighton, England

Astronomer; Mathematician Astronomy Navigation Mathematics Nautical astronomy Education: Royal College of Nobles, Madrid, Spain. Career: Entered the Royal Navy as Frigate Ensign (1776), promoted until rank of Commodore (1794); served on the warship 'Oriente'; sailed on the 'Santa Ines' when it was captured by English privateers (1779); imprisoned for a year in Cork, Ireland; returned to Cadiz (1780); commanded merchant ship 'Rosario' (1782); aide-de-Camp to the Douke of Crillon; assistant harbour master, Cadiz; sent on a mission abroad to collect maps and other works to form a library for the Navy (1789); on his return was cashiered without pay, rank or uniform (1800); settled in England; invented astronomical and nautical instruments; persecution by the Spanish government, and domestic troubles, led him to hang himself. Parents: Don Joseph de Mendoza, a noble of Seville and Doña Maria Romana de Morillo. Spouse: Anna Maria Parker (8 November 1798). Children: Francisca and Anna Fermina (1800–1857). Known for his tables which facilitated the calculations of nautical astronomy. Published on the science and technique of navigation. Improved the reflecting circle, a nautical instrument. Mendoza Cove, Antarctica is named in his honour. Fellow 11/04/1793 Henry Cavendish; Nevil Maskelyne; Alexander Dalrymple; Alexander Aubert; William Wales; William Marsden; James Watt; Henry Charles Englefield; Jesse Ramsden; Charles Rainsford; James Rennell Commissioned the portrait of Joseph Banks (FRS 1766) by Thomas Phillips in 1807, in which a copy of Mendoza Rios's paper is depicted. Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 11 August 1817; Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal, Tuesday 12 August 1817; Morning Chronicle, Monday 11 March 1816, London, England, Issue 14619 Notes: BR gives birth date as 1763; DNB gives 15 September 1762 or 15 September 1764. Index to BR gives 1816 as an alternative death date. DNB gives 4 March as death date. ©The Royal Society International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Anglo American Cataloguing Rules (second edition) rules for double barrelled and compound surnames https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Mendoza+Y+Rios%2C+Joseph RCN 21999 RCN 55209 RCN 55211 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-11196 15 Sep 1762 or or 1763 or 15 Sep 1764 - 3 Mar 1815 or 1816 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on08/08/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA7288 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 07/11/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/49428361 a1bf9427-9cde-4c8b-99e5-142cb08df4c0