James William Grant (astronomer) explained

Birth Date:August 13, 1788
Birth Place:Wester Elchies, Moray, Scotland
Death Place:Wester Elchies, Moray, Scotland
Known For:Discovering Antares B

James William Grant FRSE FRAS, 3rd Laird of Wester Elchies (1788–1865) was a Scottish astronomer and landowner. On 23 July 1844 he was the first person to observe and record the existence of the star Antares B.[1]

Life

He was born on 13 August 1788 at the family home of Wester Elchies and was baptised on 28 August 1788 at Knockando church. He was the son of Robert Grant, Laird of Elchies, Knockando and Ballintomb (1720–1803), and his wife Isobel Campbell (born 1760).[2] His father had made a fortune as a fur trader in Canada, purchasing the estate of Wester Elchies in 1783.[1]

From 1805 until 1849 he worked for the East India Company, beginning in the role of Writer and rising to be its official Astronomer, based in Bengal. In 1828 he inherited the estate of Wester Elchies from his elder brother. In 1849, he returned to Scotland and built a private observatory from granite at Wester Elchies, flanked by a pair of sphinx. In 1851 he purchased the Trophy Telescope which had been a centrepiece of the Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace in London. It was set up specifically to search for double stars. It was used by Prof Piazzi Smyth in 1862.[3] It was sold in 1864 to a Mr Aytoun of Glenfarg. The telescope was the largest in Scotland at that time with an 11-inch aperture (280mm), 16 feet (4.88m) focal length lens.[4]

In 1852 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being Robert Morrison. He resigned in 1854.[5]

He died on September 13, 1865 at Wester Elchies. He is buried in the family vault at Knockando churchyard.

Family

On 22 November 1807[6] he married Margaret Wilson (1791–1855) at Knockando. She was the daughter of Rev Thomas Wilson of Gamrie (1743–1830) in Banffshire. Margaret died in London and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.[7] Children:

His grandson James W H Grant was son-in-law to Sir Archibald Levin Smith who is also buried at Knockando.[4]

Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions

Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1852 to 1854
Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1854

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Grant, James William (DNB00) - Wikisource, the free online library. 22. en.wikisource.org. 2016-07-29.
  2. Web site: James GRANT 3rd Laird of Wester Elchies, Astronomer. patrickspeople.co.uk. 2016-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20160807032229/http://www.patrickspeople.co.uk/files/18824.htm. 7 August 2016. dead.
  3. Piazza-Smyth on the Trophy Telescope. 1862MNRAS..23....1S. Smyth . C. P. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 1862 . 23 . 1 . 10.1093/mnras/23.1.1 .
  4. http://www.mbgrg.org/newsletters/newsletter20_July13.pdf
  5. Book: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. July 2006. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 0-902-198-84-X. 29 July 2016. 24 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf. dead.
  6. Web site: 24th Generation. freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com. 2016-07-29.
  7. Web site: Margaret WILSON. patrickspeople.co.uk. 2016-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20160807032628/http://www.patrickspeople.co.uk/files/18823.htm. 7 August 2016. dead.
  8. Web site: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, vol 8, p 152: William Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #498,609 . 16 June 1809.
  9. News: Strathspey . 24 September 2019 . 9 August 1877 . . Glasgow, Scotland . 3 . Newspapers.com.
  10. Web site: William Grant . BillionGraves.com . BillionGraves Holdings, Inc. . Lehi, Utah . 14 May 2018.
  11. Web site: India Marriages, 1792-1948: Thomason/Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #498,960 . 18 February 1829.
  12. Web site: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, vol 9, p 4: Maynard Eliza Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #498,610 . 4 March 1811.
  13. Web site: England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007: Maynard Eliza Thomason . Findmypast . DC Thomson . 24 September 2019 . London, England . 8 November 1839.
  14. News: Grant . . 24 September 2019 . Dublin, Ireland . 20 August 1897 . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  15. Web site: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, vol 9, p 4: Isabella Charlotte Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #498,610 . 28 February 1812.
  16. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Leonora Margaret Hamilton Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 7 June 1817.
  17. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Mary Ballard Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 20 January 1819.
  18. Web site: England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957: Mary Ballard Grant . FamilySearch . Majesty's Stationery Office . 24 September 2019 . London, England . microfilm #7704597, image 261 . 29 April 1891.
  19. News: Rejoicings at Aberlour . . 24 September 2019 . 3 July 1850 . Aberdeen, Scotland . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  20. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Julia Sherer Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 2 October 1820.
  21. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: James William Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 4 March 1822.
  22. Web site: India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948: James William Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm 498,954. 14 June 1822.
  23. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Charles Thomason Petrie Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 2 December 1824.
  24. Web site: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947: Helen Bradden Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #498,956 . 26 December 1825.
  25. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Henry Alexander Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 23 January 1827.
  26. News: Death of Mr. H. A. Grant of Wester Elchies . . 24 September 2019 . 8 July 1886 . Aberdeen, Scotland . 4 . Newspapers.com.
  27. News: Marriages . . 24 September 2019 . 11 October 1871 . Aberdeen, Scotland . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  28. Web site: Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: Emily Forbes Grant . FamilySearch . Genealogical Society of Utah . 24 September 2019 . Salt Lake City, Utah . microfilm #990,806 . 20 July 1829.
  29. Web site: England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957: Emily Forbes MacGregor-Skinner . FamilySearch . Majesty's Stationery Office . 24 September 2019 . London, England . microfilm #7700669, image 274 . 18 April 1875.

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