Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory
Heritage Open Days: 6th -15th September 2024
I was fortunate enough to be able to make the time to visit a number of places around the town, and one further afield, last month. After a hectic September, I am still trying to catch up with looking back through my photographs.
Heritage Open Days is an annual celebration of England's history and culture that allows visitors free access to heritage sites and community events that are either not usually open to the public, would normally charge an entrance fee, or that are putting on something special for the festival. Don't blame me if you missed this, as I tried my best to post things about them beforehand.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great on the day, so using the equipment to project an image of the Sun wasn't an option. However, having a look around and finding out a lot of information from the volunteers made it a very interesting visit indeed. It brought me back into contact with the works of an historical Preston figure that I had first discovered though his contribution to The Harris.
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| George James Gibbs: Engineer, Astronomer, Inventor and Science Lecturer |
Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory
Moor Park, Blackpool Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 1NN
The observatory was built in Moor Park in 1927 to escape the chimney smoke that clouded the view of the skies from one at Deepdale. It houses a historic Cooke 8-inch refractor telescope, as well as displays of meteorites and astronomical history. James Gibbs who designed and built the observatory was a local engineer and inventor. Jeremiah Horrocks was a Lancashire astronomer who correctly predicted the transit of Venus in 1639.
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| The Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston |
Preston and District Astronomical Society members and the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute at University of Central Lancashire opened up the observatory for visitors to view the impressive telescope, displays about astronomy and Preston's part in it.
The archive of the Observatory and its curator James Gibbs is held in the University of Central Lancashire's Special Collections - see link below, where you can see an example of one of Gibbs' many sketches of clouds and weather as part of his observations.
George J. Gibbs
George James Gibbs FRAS (1866 – 22nd February 1947) was an astronomer, engineer, inventor and public science lecturer. A true polymath! He invented a heliochronometer (a very fancy sundial), which was able to accurately determine GMT to within a minute at any time of the year and at any latitude. He was also responsible for the design and erection of the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory at Moor Park, and was recognised as one of the leading hydraulic engineers in Lancashire. As per a previous post of mine, he was also responsible for setting up The Foucault’s Pendulum that was installed at The Harris (the Harris Museum & Art Gallery) in 1909.
He was born in London in 1866, was educated at Bedford Modern School, and the City and Guilds of London Institute. His working life started in Bedford, and later in Bradford.
His next position appears to have been as the Chief Engineer to Peter Pilkington Limited in Bamber Bridge. Their factory was situated approximately where BAXI later was, across Brownedge Lane from St Mary's Church. In 1910 he became a private engineering consultant in Preston where he acted as a consulting engineer for numerous industrial concerns for the supply of lighting, power, heating and water engineering. He was recognised as one of the leading water engineers in Lancashire.
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| Peter Pilkington Limited in Bamber Bridge off Brownedge Lane |
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| Peter Pilkington Ltd Advert - Manufacturers of Pneumatic Machinery |
Peter Pilkington Limited were manufacturers of Pneumatic Machinery. Their specialities included Pneumatic Hammers, Pneumatic Drills and Air Compressors. However, they were also involved in the creation of the heliochronometer. Unable to fund the business venture himself, Gibbs turned to his employer at the time, William Pilkington, and together they formed Messrs. Pilkington & Gibbs Ltd. It was manufactured and sold by Pilkington & Gibbs, Ltd. Both PILKINGTON & GIBBS LTD PRESTON and GJ GIBBS INVENIT (invenit being Latin for ‘designed by’) were stamped around its top rim.
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| Pilkington & Gibbs - Helio-Chronometer Patent Document |
A total of 1000 of these heliochronometers were originally made, of which only 50 are known to exist today. NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA LONDON, who were scientific instrument manufacturers, were a retailer. Initially P&G sold directly to the public, but later used various retail outlets. Many of them were sacrificed for the war effort in 1914, where any ‘spare’ metal was requisitioned by the government for recycling into munitions for the troops in the trenches.
Gibbs developed an interest in astronomy during his schooldays, made his own observations with a 4-inch refractor by Dancer and was elected Honorary Curator of the Preston Municipal Observatory, a position he held from 1910 until his death in 1947.
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| Tablet in Memory of George James Gibbs, F.R.A.S. |
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| Ceremonial Key for the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory |
In astronomy, his obituary in the journal of the Royal Astronomical Society records his most prominent work as being the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston. It was described as his creation from the 'drawing of the plans to the performance of routine observations with the 8-inch refractor'. He was keen to foster a love of astronomy in the locality through illustrations and lessons.
With regard to the 8 inch refractor telescope, I am picking up a couple of accounts that don't quite match up.
One account says that the main instrument in the observatory is an 8 inch Thomas Cooke Refractor. This telescope was originally acquired by Gibbs for the Deepdale Observatory in 1912. It was purchased by Preston Council for £200 from the widow of a wealthy mill owner in Clitheroe. It is thought that the telescope was built by Thomas Cooke in 1867.
Another account says that in 1881 Preston Corporation purchased a telescope for £100 from a local amateur astronomer, Alderman Robert Watson, and set it up in the Deepdale Enclosure. The same telescope was again moved, to the present observatory in Moor Park, just in time to view the total eclipse of the sun on 29th June 1927.
They can't both be right. My interpretation is that the £200 telescope was acquired by Gibbs to replace the £100 telescope that came from Alderman Robert Watson.
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| The Deepdale Observatory within the Deepdale Enclosure |
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| The Deepdale Observatory within the Deepdale Enclosure |
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| Deepdale Road from Stepenson Terrace |
The PADAS secretary, Graham Mac (Graham McLoughlin) provided me with the following information regarding the confusion between the two observatories. This is his 'brief history and time line'.
"Alderman Robert Green Watson was a founder member and chairman of Preston Scientific Society1876, he had an interest in Astronomy , there was also a popular Astronomical section. Watsons good friend James Cooke FRAS Built Watson’s 18in Newtonian telescope and observatory which was located in Cooks back garden in Oxford street Preston , Watson lived at Chaddock street, Avenham he had a Land Lady."
"Watson passed away in 1879 , Preston Scientific society managed to persuade Preston Corporation to purchase the telescope as a municipal public Observatory, named Deepdale Observatory opened 8th October 1881, with the scientific society as the leading group managing the Observatory. George Gibbs became the curator in 1910 after refusing the position on two occasions due to the Observatory building and telescope needed upgrading , the telescope mirror was a speculum mirror and easily tarnished , observatory building in poor state of repair, The corporation agreed to upgrade the observatory so Gibbs accepted the position, In 1912 he managed to source an unused Thomas Cook refractor from the late William Garnet of Waddow hall Clitheroe 1912, with the total solar eclipse occurring 29th June 1927 and Preston being on the centre line , Preston corporation agreed to relocate and rebuild the Preston Observatory at Moor Park renamed Jeremiah Horrocks."
"Observatory opened to coincide with the total solar eclipse the Cooke Refractor was moved to this observatory."
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| Drawing of Cumulus Clouds Rising by George Gibbs (UCLan Archives) |
George James Gibbs Obituary Notice
GEORGE JAMES GIBBS was born in London in 1866 and upon his family moving to Bedford, about 1874, received his early education at Bedford Modern School, where he was head boy. His mechanical bent being well developed, he proceeded with a scholarship to the City and Guilds Institute, London, where he again distinguished himself whilst studying for his professional career. During this time, and indeed from his early youth, he displayed a love of astronomy which was a source of joy to him throughout life, and which he was ever willing to share with others.
After qualifying professionally, he visited Holland to take charge of work his employers had in progress there before entering business in Accrington and, finally, as a Consulting Engineer at Preston. It is typical of his thoroughness that at the commencement of his stay in Preston he joined the Preston Scientific Society and by his efforts did much to promote its steady growth, being an active Chairman of the Astronomical and Physical Section for several years and President of the Society from 1919 to 1926.
" G. J. G.", as he was affectionately known, not only encouraged astronomical studies by his many lectures and demonstrations, but also took an active part in observations with his own instruments (notably a fine 4-inch refractor by Dancer) and in addition acted as Honorary Curator of the Preston Municipal Observatory. This post he worthily held from Iwo until his sudden death on 1947 February 22.
During his Curatorship, he devoted an incalculable amount of time to the service of the public, willingly sacrificing his own interests in order to foster in others the enthusiasm which never deserted him. Despite the great demands made upon him for professional services (he specialized in hydraulic engineering and became an acknowledged expert) he was never too busy to help the novice, and but for this self-effacement would doubtless have attained more prominence in astronomical circles. As it was, he contributed several communications to our Society and also was in 1914 appointed a member of the Society's eclipse expedition to Hernosand, Sweden.
His most prominent work in astronomy, however, was the inception of the new municipal Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory, Preston, which was essentially his creation from the drawing of the plans to the performance of routine observations with the 8-inch refractor. Here, with characteristically neat illustrations, he gave lessons to numerous adults and school children and in doing so must have encouraged many to become life-long students of the science.
The pleasant recollections of his courteous manner, kindly teachings and the institutions he has .t are memorials to a true amateur of science, whose exceptional talents enabled him to be also a fine musician and skilful artist.
His wife Annie (Née Thomlinson) was a native of Bedford and taught for many years in the Girls' Modem School there. She died in November 1936. He is now survived by his daughter whose great loss is best realized by those privileged to have known him.
He was elected a Fellow of the Society on 1912 January 12.
F. HOLDEN.
The Royal Astronomical Society
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| George James Gibbs Obituary Notice - The Royal Astronomical Society |
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| George James Gibbs Obituary Notice - The Royal Astronomical Society |
Gallery
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Further reading and sources of information
Heritage Open Days
Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/jeremiah-horrocks-observatory.html
PADAS (Preston and District Astronomical Society) History
https://www.padas.org.uk/padas-home/padas-history/
University of Central Lancashire Archives and Special Collections
Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/about-us/special-collections/jeremiah-horrocks
Peter Pilkington, Ltd of Caxton House, Westminster, London SW;
Dowry Iron Works, Accrington and Bamber Bridge, Lancashire - Grace's Guide
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Peter_Pilkington
Gibbs Heliochronometer - Part of the Horrocks Collection
UCLan o JSTOR
https://www.jstor.org/site/university-of-central-lancashire/horrocks/gibbsheliochronometer-29767154/
Pilkington Gibbs Heliochronometer. Universal Equinoctial Mean Time Heliochronometer
or Helio chronometer - UKAA | UK Architectural Antiques
https://www.ukaa.com/guides/pilkington-gibbs-heliochronometer-119
The Heliochronometer
Christopher Maes - December 8th, 2008
http://chrisma.es/heliochronometer/
Pilkington & Gibbs Ltd, Preston, England - Sundial
The Royal Collection Trust
https://www.rct.uk/collection/64191/sundial
Article from the Thoroton Society Newsletter
The heliochronometers at Rufford Abbey
http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk/publications/articles/heliochronometers.htm
Obituary Notices: Fellows:- Gibbs, George James
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1949MNRAS.109R.145.
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Down Yet Another Internet Rabbit Hole! The Harris, a Foucault Pendulum and George J. Gibbs
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