Person Halley; Edmond (1656 - 1742); astronomer Halley Edmond astronomer Edmund 1656 - 1742 British Male Haggerston, St Leonard's parish, Shoreditch, London, England, Europe 8 November 1656 16561108 Greenwich, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe 14 January 1742 17420114 Burial: Lee churchyard, near Greenwich, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe (20 January 1742)

Islington (1682-1684); Golden Lion Court, Aldersgate Street, London; Prince's Street, Bridgewater Square, London (1718)

Astronomer Astronomy Geophysics Education: St Paul's School, London; Queen's College, Oxford (MA by royal mandate 1678; DCL 1710) Career: Sailed for St Helena to study the stars of the southern hemisphere (1676-1678); sent to Danzig by the Royal Society where he studied the observations of Johannes Hevelius (FRS 1664) (1679); travelled in France and Italy with Robert Nelson (FRS 1680) (1680-1681); encouraged and assisted Isaac Newton (FRS 1672) in writing his 'Principia Mathematica' and paid for its printing (1687); was refused the Savilian chair of Astronomy, partly through the enmity of John Flamsteed (FRS 1677) (1691); Comptroller of the Mint at Chester (1696-1698); obtained command of the war sloop 'Paramour Pink' in order to study the variation of the compass (1698-1700); surveyed the tides and coasts of the British Isles (1701-1702); inspected the harbours of the Adriatic at the request of the Emperor Leopold and helped the imperial engineers in the fortification of the harbour at Trieste; Savilian Professor of Geometry (1703-1742); leading member of the committee to prepare Flamsteed's observations for the press; Hydrographer to Queen Anne; Astronomer Royal (1720); quarrelled with Newton over the non-publication of his observations (1727) Memberships: Foreign Member, Academie Royale des Sciences (1729) Parents: Edmond Halley and Anne Halley Married: Mary Tooke Through influential connections at court, Halley could secure free passage on one of the East India Company's ships to St Helena to make observations of the stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, he was the first to record a complete transit of Mercury. Halley is closely connected to Sir Isaac Newton (FRS 1672), especially his research in mathematics, and he was instrumental in publishing Newton's 'Principia'. Halley wrote much on astronomy and magnetism throughout his life and through his role as naval captain, he contributed to sea charts and meteorological observations. His 'Greenwich Observations' reportedly did not meet the standards set by his predecessor John Flamsteed (FRS 1677), with whom he also continuously quarrelled throughout his life. Royal Society roles: Secretary 1713-1721; Vice-President 1729- , 1741-; Council 1683-1684; Clerk 1686-1699 ; Editor of the 'Philosophical Transactions': 1686-1693; 1714-1720 Fellow 30/11/1678 22 Sir Jonas Moore Resigned his Fellowship for the period he was a Clerk to the Royal Society (1685-1698) Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Hunter; Foster; ODNB References: T E Allibone, 'The Diaries of John Byrom, MA, FRS, and their Relation to the Pre-history of the Royal Society Club' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 162-183 Sir John Craig, 'The Royal Society and the Royal Mint' in NR 1964 vol 19 pp 156-167 Sir Harold Spencer Jones, 'Halley as an Astronomer' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 175-192 Sir Gavin de Beer and Max H Hey, 'The First Ascent of Mont Blanc' in NR 1954-55 vol 11 pp 236-255 Sir Edward Bullard and Colin A Ronan, 'The Exhibition to Commemorate Edmond Halley, 1656-1742' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 166-167 S Chapman, 'Edmond Halley, FRS, 1656-1742' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 168-174, plate Margaret Deacon, 'Founders of Marine Science in Britain: the Work of the Early Fellows of the Royal Society' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 28-50 H E Bell, 'The Savilian Professors' Houses and Halley's Observatory at Oxford' in NR 1961 vol 16 pp 179-186 E N da C Andrade, 'The Birth and Early Days of the Philosophical Transactions' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 9-27 A N L Munby, 'The Distribution of the First Edition of Newton's Principia' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 28-39 A D Atkinson, 'The Royal Society and English Vocabulary' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 40-43 C S S, 'The Society's Library' in NR 1938 vol 1 pp 21-27 H G Lyons, 'Two Hundred Years Ago: 1739' in NR 1939 vol 2 pp 34-42 M Greenwood, 'The First Life Table' in NR 1938 vol 1 pp 70-72 A Rupert Hall, 'A Practical Natural Philosopher', review of Alan Cook, Edmond Halley: Charting the Heavens and the Seas in NR 1998 vol 52 pp 369-371 Harold B Carter, 'The Royal Society and the Voyage of HMS Endeavour 1768-71' in NR 1995 vol 49 pp 245-260 Sir Alan Cook, 'An Astronomical Patriarch', review of Anna Cassini, Gio: Domenico Cassini Uno scienzato del Seicento in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 335-337 Sir Alan Cook, 'Greenwich Comes of Age', review of Eric G Forbes, Lesley Murdin and Frances Willmoth, The Correspondence of John Flamsteed, the First Astronomer Royal. Volume Two, 1682-1703 in NR 1998 vol 52 pp 191-193 Sir Alan Cook, 'In This Issue' in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 159-160, plate Sir Alan Cook, 'Ladies in the Scientific Revolution' in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 1-12 Sir Alan Cook, 'More Frequent Issues' in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 1-2 Sir Alan Cook, 'Seeds of the Scientific Revolution', review of Edward Grant, The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages, Their Religious, Institutional and Intellectual Contexts and Benedino Gemelli, Aspetti dell'Atomismo classico nella Filosofia di Francis Bacon e nel Seicento, Accademia toscana di Scienze e Lettere "La Colombaria", 'Studi' CLII in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 327-334 G E Fogg, 'The Royal Society and the Antarctic' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 85-98 Sir Alan Cook, 'Our Foreign Correspondence' in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 179-182 Walter Munk, 'Solving the Tidal Problem', review of David E Cartwright, Tides: A Scientific History in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 116-119 Allan Chapman, 'Edmond Halley's Use of Historical Evidence in the Advancement of Science' in NR 1994 vol 48 pp 167-191, plate Brebis Bleaney, 'The Physical Sciences in Oxford, 1918-1939 and Earlier' in NR 1994 vol 48 pp 247-261 D T Whiteside, 'The Evolution of the Principia from 1665 to 1686' in NR 1988 vol 42 p 11 D T Whiteside, 'The Prehistory of the Principia from 1664 to 1686' in NR 1991 vol 45 pp 11-61 D W Hughes, 'The Principia and Comets' in NR 1988 vol 42 pp 53-74 David J Thomas, 'Joseph Raphson, FRS' in NR 1990 vol 44 pp 151-167 G J Whitrow, 'Newton's Role in the History of Mathematics' in NR 1989 vol 43 pp 71-92 Sir Alan Cook, 'Edmond Halley and Newton's Principia' in NR 1991 vol 45 pp 129-138 Sir Alan Cook, 'Halley the Londoner' in NR 1993 vol 47 pp 163-177 A Rupert Hall, 'Newton and His Editors. The Wilkins Lecture, 1973' in NR 1974-5 vol 29 pp 29-52, plate Asit K Biswas, 'Edmond Halley, FRS, Hydrologist Extraordinary' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 47-57 Charles H Cotter, 'Captain Edmond Halley RN, FRS' in NR 1981-82 vol 36 pp 61-77 Charles H Cotter, 'The Mariner's Sextant and the Royal Society' in NR 1978-9 vol 33 pp 23-36 Edward H Cohen and John S Ross, 'The Commonplace Book of Edmond Halley' in NR 1985-86 vol 40 pp 1-40 Geoffrey Fryer, 'John Fryer, FRS and His Scientific Observations, Made Chiefly in India and Persia Between 1672 and 1682' in NR 1978-9 vol 33 pp 175-206 P D Lawrence and A G Molland, 'David Gregory's Inaugural Lecture at Oxford' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 143-178 Simon Schaffer, 'Halley's Atheism and the End of the World' in NR 1977-8 vol 32 pp 17-40 Sir Richard Woolley, 'Captain Cook and the Transit of Venus of 1769' in NR 1969 vol 24 pp 19-32 T E Allibone, 'Edmond Halley and the Clubs of the Royal Society' in NR 1973-4 vol 28 pp 195-205 P Fontes da Costa, 'The Culture of Curiosity at The Royal Society in the first half of the eighteenth century', NR 2002 vo l56 pp 147-166 L B Glyn, 'Israel Lyons: a short but starry career. The life of an eighteenth-century Jewish botanist and astronomer' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 275-305 A Cook, '1703 and other anniversaries' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 1-2 N J W Thrower, 'Samuel Pepys FRS (1633-1733) and The Royal Society' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 3-13 A Cook, 'The end of the affair. The correspondence of John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, vol 3 (1703-1719) by E G Forbes, L Murdin and F Willmoth' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 113-116 Allan Chapman 'Edmond Halley: the man behind the comet' in Science and Public Affairs Autumn 1994 pp24-27 D E Cartwright, 'The Tonkin tides revisited' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 135-142 Sir Alan Cook FRS, 'Continental connections' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 267-268 J H Appleby, 'The founding of St Petersburg in the context of the Royal Society's relationship with Russia' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 273-284 A Cook, 'Rome and the Royal Society, 1660-1740' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 3-19 L Jardine, 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 107-129 T Quinn, 'The Palace of Westminster frescoes, Kelvin's secretary and the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine', in NR 2006 vol 60 pp 135-137 P Fara, 'Edmond Halley's last portrait' in NR 2006 vol 60 pp 199-201 D K Love (2024) 'Edmond Halley: the many discoveries of the most curious Astronomer Royal' (Prometheus) Notes: DSB gives birth and death dates as ? 29 October 1656 and 14 January 1743., Old Style. Halley P0059.jpg ©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 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Halley%2C+Edmond RCN: 25230 RCN: R69331 RCN: R65028 RCN: R69339 RCN: 49113 RCN: 42833 RCN: 42830 RCN: 42829 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH3704 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-9284 ? 29 Oct or 8 Nov 1656 - 14 Jan 1742 or 14 Jan 1743 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 on 16/09/2022 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8423 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 20/05/2024 RS_NET\rupert Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/71400665 1f9ae005-42bc-4cc3-82b7-b86c5e119ea1