Papers of the Board of Longitude : Accounts relating to the connection of the trigonometrical operations for uniting the coasts of England and France

Papers of the Board of Longitude

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This volume of the Board's accounts covers the activities surrounding the 1821 - 1823 attempt at a connection between English and French coastal surveys and is a separate volume of financial accounts from the general accounts contained in volumes, <a href='/view/MS-RGO-00014-00002'> (RGO 14/2)</a> and <a href='/view/MS-RGO-00014-00015'> (RGO 14/15)</a>. This small focused volume gives insight into the practicalities of organising a trigonometric survey. With these highly detailed itemised accounts we can see the everyday difficulties of conducting the 1821 coastal survey between Dover and Calais. For example, notes on the <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(1);return false;'> marching money and field pay of soldiers (RGO 14/21:10)</a> from the Royal Artillery supplied by the Duke of Wellington (see <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp04752/arthur-wellesley-1st-duke-of-wellington?search=sas&sText=duke+of+wellington'>portraits</a> at the National Portrait Gallery), Master General of the Ordnance, from the 29th of July to the 13th of November 1822. Also included are bills and receipts for <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(1);return false;'> coal, oil, cooking utensils (RGO 14/21:84)</a>, <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(1);return false;'> wood, station houses (RGO 14/21:144)</a> and personal expenses of Major Thomas Fredrick Colby, as well as the apparatus needed to conduct the survey itself, for example <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(1);return false;'> several tents (RGO 14/21:182)</a>, an observation book, candles and tape.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>It is clear to see that at the start of the nineteenth century this kind of work is absorbing a noticeable part of the Board's budget; salaries, expeditions and experiments take over from rewards as the Board's major expense. The field survey of 1821 was one of the earlier large scale projects funded by the Board of Longitude as redefined by the 1818 Longitude Act, happening four months after Parry [<a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/14411.html'><img title="Link to RMG" alt='RMG icon' class='nmm_icon' src='/images/general/nmm_small.png'/></a>] set sail for the second time in search of the North West Passage. Major Thomas Colby was deputed by the Royal Society and the Board of Longitude to work alongside <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw03537/Henry-Kater?LinkID=mp02471&role=sit&rNo=0'>Captain Henry Kater</a>, and with Arago and Matthieu representing the French Institute, to substantiate the observations made in 1790 that attempted to connect the meridians of Greenwich and Paris. The results of the 1821 efforts are found in the Philosophical Transactions (see <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://rstl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/118.toc'>Philsophical Transactions Archive</a> at the The Royal Society)for 1828 in an article by Kater. For the observations across the Channel between Folkestone and Calais at night, Fresnel's (see <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://collectionsonline.nmsi.ac.uk/detail.php?t=people&type=all&f=&s=fresnel+&record=0'>portrait and objects relating to Augustin-Jean Fresnel</a> at the Science Museum Group) new compound lenses were used in the lamps.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Astronomer Royal George Airy [<a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/136564.html'><img title="Link to RMG" alt='RMG icon' class='nmm_icon' src='/images/general/nmm_small.png'/></a>] chose to separate this particular collection of accounts regarding this surveying effort and it's expenses perhaps as a way to highlight the importance of this project to the Board; these receipts, whilst rather mundane, require their own volume due to the importance of the survey they are associated with. The accounts themselves are also very rigorous and detailed, which further suggests that the Board and the Royal Society were keen to remain vigilant over the expenses associated with the survey as it represented at least a noticeable part of their budget.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Sophie Waring<br />History and Philosophy of Science<br />University of Cambridge<br /></p>

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Accounts relating to the connection of the trigonometrical operations for uniting the coasts of England and France (RGO 14/21)

This volume of the Board's accounts covers the activities surrounding the 1821 - 1823 attempt at a connection between English and French coastal surveys and is a separate volume of financial accounts from the general accounts contained in volumes, (RGO 14/2) and (RGO 14/15). This small focused volume gives insight into the practicalities of organising a trigonometric survey. With these highly detailed itemised accounts we can see the everyday difficulties of conducting the 1821 coastal survey between Dover and Calais. For example, notes on the marching money and field pay of soldiers (RGO 14/21:10) from the Royal Artillery supplied by the Duke of Wellington (see portraits at the National Portrait Gallery), Master General of the Ordnance, from the 29th of July to the 13th of November 1822. Also included are bills and receipts for coal, oil, cooking utensils (RGO 14/21:84), wood, station houses (RGO 14/21:144) and personal expenses of Major Thomas Fredrick Colby, as well as the apparatus needed to conduct the survey itself, for example several tents (RGO 14/21:182), an observation book, candles and tape.

It is clear to see that at the start of the nineteenth century this kind of work is absorbing a noticeable part of the Board's budget; salaries, expeditions and experiments take over from rewards as the Board's major expense. The field survey of 1821 was one of the earlier large scale projects funded by the Board of Longitude as redefined by the 1818 Longitude Act, happening four months after Parry [] set sail for the second time in search of the North West Passage. Major Thomas Colby was deputed by the Royal Society and the Board of Longitude to work alongside Captain Henry Kater, and with Arago and Matthieu representing the French Institute, to substantiate the observations made in 1790 that attempted to connect the meridians of Greenwich and Paris. The results of the 1821 efforts are found in the Philosophical Transactions (see Philsophical Transactions Archive at the The Royal Society)for 1828 in an article by Kater. For the observations across the Channel between Folkestone and Calais at night, Fresnel's (see portrait and objects relating to Augustin-Jean Fresnel at the Science Museum Group) new compound lenses were used in the lamps.

Astronomer Royal George Airy [] chose to separate this particular collection of accounts regarding this surveying effort and it's expenses perhaps as a way to highlight the importance of this project to the Board; these receipts, whilst rather mundane, require their own volume due to the importance of the survey they are associated with. The accounts themselves are also very rigorous and detailed, which further suggests that the Board and the Royal Society were keen to remain vigilant over the expenses associated with the survey as it represented at least a noticeable part of their budget.

Sophie Waring
History and Philosophy of Science
University of Cambridge

Information about this document

Physical Location: Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives
Classmark: RGO 14/21
Subject(s): Surveying; Surveying
Date of Creation: 1821-1823
Associated Place(s): Dover; Dover; Calais; Calais
Extent: 1 volume
Author(s) of the Record: Karen Davies, Robert Steiner, Sophie Waring

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RGO 14/21: 3-6: Abstract of expenses incurred in the trigonometrical operations for uniting the coasts of France and England (image 7, page 3r) RGO 14/21: 8-33: Soldiers field pay and marching money (image 15, page 8r) RGO 14/21: 35-44: Amounts of allowance paid to eight soldiers from 7 September to 1 November 1821 (image 67, page 35r-36r) RGO 14/21: 46-81: Warrants and receipts (image 85, page 46r) RGO 14/21: 83-113: Bills and receipts for coals, oils, cooking utensils, etc (image 157, page 83r) RGO 14/21: 115-128: Miscellaneous receipts (image 221, page 115r) RGO 14/21: 130-151: Receipts for wood, etc., for station houses (image 251, page 130r) RGO 14/21: 153-168: Receipts for wood, etc. (image 295, page 153r) RGO 14/21: 170-175: Contingent account for expenses (image 327, page 170r) RGO 14/21: 177-179: Account of mess and personal expenses (image 339, page 177r) RGO 14/21: 181-182a: Bill for an observatory tent (image 345, page 181r) RGO 14/21: 184-197: Receipts for Portland stones sunk at the five stations (image 351, page 184r) RGO 14/21: 199-254: Hire of horses, etc. for the conveyance of baggage to the different stations (image 379, page 199r-200r) RGO 14/21: 256-259: Bills for hire of caravans and repairs to lamps (image 487, page 256r)

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Information about this document

Physical Location: Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives
Classmark: RGO 14/21
Subject(s): Surveying; Surveying
Date of Creation: 1821-1823
Associated Place(s): Dover; Dover; Calais; Calais
Extent: 1 volume
Author(s) of the Record: Karen Davies, Robert Steiner, Sophie Waring

Section shown in images 7 to 14

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 3-6
Title: Abstract of expenses incurred in the trigonometrical operations for uniting the coasts of France and England
Date of Creation: 1821
Associated Place(s): France; France; England; England
Extent: 4 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 15 to 66

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 8-33
Title: Soldiers field pay and marching money
Abstract:
Individual named accounts for soldiers from the Royal Sappers and Miners (later the Royal Engineers) in receipt of field pay and marching money.
Date of Creation: 1822
Associated Name(s): Army. Royal Sappers and Miners
Extent: 26 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 67 to 84

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 35-44
Title: Amounts of allowance paid to eight soldiers from 7 September to 1 November 1821
Date of Creation: 1821
Extent: 10 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 85 to 156

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 46-81
Title: Warrants and receipts
Abstract:
The warrants, addressed to local constables, list the number of horses and wagons to be requisitioned for use by the Royal Engineers, and the amounts that owners are to be recompensed.
Date of Creation: 1821
Associated Name(s): Army. Royal Engineers; Great Britain. Army. Royal Engineers
Extent: 36 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 157 to 220

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 83-113
Title: Bills and receipts for coals, oils, cooking utensils, etc
Date of Creation: 1822
Extent: 32 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 221 to 250

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 115-128
Title: Miscellaneous receipts
Abstract:
The receipts are principally for the transport of goods and coach hire.
Date of Creation: 1821
Associated Name(s): Colby, Thomas Frederick (1784-1852) Major General, Director of Ordnance Survey; Kater, Henry, 1777-1835
Extent: 15 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 251 to 294

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 130-151
Title: Receipts for wood, etc., for station houses
Date of Creation: 1822
Extent: 22 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 295 to 326

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 153-168
Title: Receipts for wood, etc.
Date of Creation: 1821
Extent: 15 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 327 to 338

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 170-175
Title: Contingent account for expenses
Date of Creation: 1822
Extent: 6 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 339 to 344

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 177-179
Title: Account of mess and personal expenses
Date of Creation: 1823
Associated Name(s): Kater, Henry, 1777-1835
Extent: 3 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 345 to 350

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 181-182a
Title: Bill for an observatory tent
Date of Creation: 1822
Extent: 3 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 351 to 378

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 184-197
Title: Receipts for Portland stones sunk at the five stations
Date of Creation: 1822-1823
Extent: 14 ff.
Material: Paper

Section shown in images 379 to 486

Classmark: RGO 14/21: 199-254
Title: Hire of horses, etc. for the conveyance of baggage to the different stations
Abstract:
Receipts for hire of horses and waggons.
Date of Creation: 1822
Extent: 57 ff.
Material: Paper