John Smith (astronomer) explained

John Smith D.D. (baptised 14 October 1711  - 17 June 1795) was a British academic and astronomer.

His father was an attorney named Henry Smith and his mother was Elizabeth Johnson. He was born in Coltishall, Norfolk and was educated at Norwich School and Eton.^[1]

He was admitted to Caius College, Cambridge University in 1732. He received a B.A. in 1735/6 and an M.A. in 1739.

He was successively dean (1744 - 1749), bursar (1750 - 1753), and president of the college (1754 - 1764). He was Master of Caius from 1764 to 1795, and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy from 1771 to 1795.

He was ordained in 1739. He installed a transit telescope above his college ante-chapel.

He did not seem to have left any scientific papers or given any lectures.

External links

• Book: Venn, John. Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College, 1349 - 1897. 35. II (1713 to 1897). Cambridge University Press. 1898. 2011-03-04.
• The Observatory. Lowndes and the Lowndean Professorship. 34. 1911. 405 - 407. Lynn. W. T.. 1911Obs....34..405L.
• The Observatory. Dr John Smith. 34. 1911. 449. Stratton. F. J. M.. 1911Obs....34..449S.

Notes and References

1. Anita McConnell, ‘Smith, John (bap. 1711, d. 1795)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009, accessed 2 Oct 2013