Ace, David (1813-1893) [Rev.; FRAS], born (6 Feb.) at Devonport, Devon, Ace was a clergyman and amateur astronomer. Appointed Vicar of Laughton-cum-Wildsworth, nr. Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in 1871. he was resident there until his death (27 Aug. ). He was elected a Fellow of the RAS (13 June 1879), but did nomt submit any papers (Obit., MNRAS, 54 (1894), 193; List of the Fellows of the RAS, June 1890).
Andrews, Henry (1743-1820), astronomer, was born at Frieston, near Grantham. As a ten-year old, he began observing the stars with a telescope in Frieston Green. However, as his parents were poor, he entered domestic service while still a boy, first in Sleaford, then in Lincoln and finally with Mr Verinum, who permitted him some time each day for his studies. He calculated with great accuracy a solar eclipse, which was viewed by a distinguished party at Aswarby Hall on 1 April 1764. He was a teacher in Basingthorpe near Grantham, then became an usher at a school in Stilton, subsequently moved to Cambridge, then spent the remainder of his days as a bookseller and schoolmaster in Royston. He was a calculator on the Nautical Almanac for over 40 years and was employed on several other almanacs (Ketteringham 1995; Parsons; ODNB).
Bass, George (1771-c.1803), explorer, born Aswarby, near Sleaford. Bass Strait is named after him [Mullay & Mullay, 2002]. He was surgeon on HMS Reliance. He sailed with Matthew Flinders on several voyages. In 1803 Bass set sail for South America. Little is known of him after that date and he is assumed (Ketteringham, 1995; Mullay & Mullay, 2002; Parsons; ODNB).
Bentley, R.F. (NK), known from observation of a partial solar eclipse of 8 April 1921 from Ruskington in Lincolnshire as reported in a Supplement to The Chaldaean [Aut. 1921] (The Chaldaean Astronomical Society, lecture by Bill Barton,SHA Aut. Conf. 29 Oct 2016).
Besant, Frank (1841-1917) [FRAS; Rev.], clergyman, teacher of mathematics and amateur astronomer – elected to RAS (1866). Frank was brother to mathematician William Henry Besant (1828-1917) and author Sir Walter Besant – all educated at Stockwell Grammar School. Graduated from Emmanuel College Cambridge (1863), he was assistant master of mathematics at Cheltenham College (1865-71). Ordained at Winchester (1866) and vicar of Sibsey (1871), nr. Boston, Lincs. where he remained until his death (Obit., MNRAS, 78 (1918), 240-1).
Birmingham, Frederick Frank (1909 – 1990) [FRAS], born Marylebone, London, 29 June (FreeBMD), an electronic engineer – LMS Railway, the De Havilland Aircraft Co. and Elliott Automation [Spalding Guardian]. Following retirement, he played a major part in the establishment of the South Lincolnshire Astronomical and Geophysical Society (1976), based near Spalding. He was both a founder member and first Chairman (Obit., Spalding Guardian, 13 April 1990).
Bromhead, Sir Edward Thomas Ffrench , second baronet (1789-1855) [FRAS], born (26 March) Dublin Bromhead was resident for much of his life in Thurlby, Lincolnshire. A mathematician, he was elected Fellow of the RAS (29 Feb.1820). A key figure in the renaissance of English mathematics Bromhead supported two outstanding self-taught mathematicians, George Green and George Boole (Lincs). Whilst Bromhead was president of the Lincoln Mechanics’ Institute, George Boole’s father was curator and Bromhead provided support and encouragement to George Boole, including the loan of mathematical books. He died (14 March) at Thurlby Hall, Lincolnshire (ODNB; List of Fellows, MNRAS, 14 (1856), 247-60).
Corbett, Charles Joseph [FRAS] (1823-1882), born Mareham-le-Fen, Lincs., an architect by profession (see Surrey; Obit., MNRAS, 44 (1884), p.131; Warner 1995, 85).
Dee, John [Dr] (1527-1608), mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, alchemist, Rector of Long Leadenham, Lincolnshire (1566-1608) (Parsons; Westfall; ODNB; County of London).
Essam, Edward Iszatt (1855-1931) [FRAS], born in Aslackby Fen, Lincolnshire in 1855, Essam was employed as a chemist’s assistant in the nearby market town of Billingborough, eventually trading as a chemist and druggist in that town. He developed a keen interest in astronomy and constructed a well-equipped observatory in Billingborough. Essam contributed many observations to the Jupiter and Saturn sections of the BAA during the 1890s. Elected FRAS in 1898, he also became Director of the BAA Star Colour Section in 1902. However, following the failure of his business in 1907 he moved from Billingborough to Luddenden Foot, Yorkshire and eventually to Lancashire (Stroobant 1907, 36).
Franklin, Sir John (1786-1847) [Rear-Admiral; FRS; FRAS], born Spilsby, Lincolnshire, Franklin was educated at Louth Grammar School. (see County of London; Obit., MNRAS, 15 (1855), 120-1; ODNB; Ketteringham, 1995; Mullay & Mullay, 2002; Phillipps 2023).
Flinders, Matthew (1774–1814), born in Donington, a navy captain, hydrographer and explorer. On several voyages, including as captain of HMS Investigator, he explored much of the coastline of Australia. Flinders was the author of A voyage to Terra Austral (1814) and the University in Adelaide, Australia is named after him – Flinders University (Ketteringham, 1995; Elsden, 2003).
Grosseteste, Robert (c.1168-1253), Bishop of Lincoln from 1235, he was active in geometry, astronomy and optics and wrote many scientific and philosophical works [The Electronic Grosseteste]. Probably born in Suffolk, he was Rector of a Franciscan School in Oxford and was Chancellor of Oxford University 1215 – c. 1221 (O’Connor & Robertson; Parsons; Urquhart; Tanford & Reynolds; Ketteringham, 1995).
King, Alphonso (1882-1937) [FRAS], a schoolmaster and amateur astronomer living at Ashby, Lincs., who specialised in meteor observations and computation (Stroobant 1931; Obit., MNRAS, 97 (1937), 274-5).
Longbottom, Gertrude (1876-1935) [FRAS], born Louth, Lincs., an alumnus of Girton College (high wrangler), Cambridge. Longbottom gained a fellowship at Bryn Mawr in the United States before becoming a teacher of mathematics. Her only published paper (1915), jointly with Dr J. K. Fotheringham (1874-1936), was on the motion of the Moon. She was an early female Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, elected May 1916 (Obit., MNRAS, 96 (1936), p.295).
Merryweather, John (?), governor of Lincoln Castle prison and keen astronomer. Sites associated with Merryweather: The Observatory Tower at Lincoln Castle was restored in 1825 for Merryweather.
Newton, Sir Isaac (1642-1727) developed laws of motion and gravity, author of Principia (1687) (see Lincolnshire; IoA; ODNB)
Roberts, Samuel (1827-1913) [FRS], mathematician, born Horncastle (O’Connor and Robertson).
Tennyson, Alfred, first Baron Tennyson (1809-1892), poet and amateur astronomer, was born in Somersby. Better known as a poet, he was also greatly interested in science and was a keen amateur astronomer. The Tennyson Statue in Lincoln is adjacent to the Chapter House and Medieval Library, northeast of Lincoln Cathedral (Ketteringham, 1995; Mullay & Mullay, 2002;.Parsons; Woods, 2006).
Weaver, Edmund (fl. 1754), described by Dr Stukeley as ‘…a very uncommon genius, who had made himself master of astronomy and was scarcely to be accounted the second in the kingdom…’. Very little seems to be known about Weaver, other than a short series of almanacs, including The British Telescope (1745) and some astronomical tables, which appear not to have been published. Stukeley recorded in his diary that he ‘…spent many agreeable hours at Stamford and Pickworth with Mr Tycho Wing and Mr Edmund Weaver, the great Lincolnshire astronomer’ (Lynn 1900b, 318-9).
Survey of Astronomical History 