Diary & Letters of Madame D'Arblay, edited by BarrettCharlotte (London, 1905), iv, 113, cited by LubbockConstance A., The Herschel chronicle (Cambridge, 1933; hereafter Chronicle), 177.
FraserMaxwell, The history of Slough (Slough, 1973), 55–6. Mary Herschel would one day inherit the lease, and she and William later bought the freehold.
4.
HarperCharles G., The Bath Road: History, fashion, & frivolity on an old highway (London, 1899), 8.
5.
According to a family tree in the Herschel Family Archives.
Nicholas Adee's will is in Wiltshire and Swindon Archives, P3/A/272.
10.
Around the time of his father's death, John Herschel investigated the history of his mother's family and left a very detailed account of the Adees, Herschel Family Archives.
11.
The National Archives, Prob 11/945.
12.
The National Archives, Prob 11/760.
13.
The National Archives, Prob 11/1100.
14.
In later life John attempted to establish the chronology of his childhood, or “Recovery of dates”, by studying his mother's account books and similar documents. On 10 October 1794, his maternal grandmother wrote to his mother “at Aunt Clark's Speenhamland”. Herschel Family Archives, copy courtesy of Anthony Turner.
15.
According to the will of Mary Herschel's first husband John Pitt, The National Archives, Prob 11/1018.
16.
HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
17.
The National Archives, Prob 11/1018.
18.
A family tree in the Herschel Family Archives indicates that Mary Herschel had a second son by John Pitt, William, who died (and was probably born) in 1783.
19.
The National Archives, Prob 11/1314.
20.
HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
21.
As argued by SpaightJohn Tracy, “‘For the good of astronomy’: The manufacture, sale, and distant use of William Herschel's telescopes”, Journal for the history of astronomy, xxxv (2004), 45–69.
22.
PazEmilio Bautista, “Industrial archaeology. From the 17th to the 21st century: Reconstruction of Herschel's telescope”, International symposium on history of machines and mechanisms, ed. by CeccarelliMarco (Dordrecht, 2004), 259–68.
23.
RAS Herschel MS W.7/10, warrant dated 21 September 1820.
24.
On this see HoskinMichael, The Herschel partnership: As viewed by Caroline (Cambridge, 2003), 115–16, and The Herschels of Hanover (Cambridge, 2007), biographical sketch of Caroline.
25.
HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
26.
14 October 1824, British Library Egerton 3761.
27.
HingleyP. D., “The will of Sir William Herschel”, Astronomy and geophysics, xxxix/3 (1998), 7. The will is the National Archives, Prob 10/4640.
28.
LatusseckArndtHoskinMichael, “The murder of Jacob Herschel”, Journal for the history of astronomy, xxxiv (2003), 233–4.
29.
Original typescript of Chronicle in the possession of the William Herschel Society, Bath, VII, 23.
30.
HingleyHingley, op. cit. (ref. 27).
31.
HoskinMichael, “Alexander Herschel: The forgotten partner”, Journal for the history of astronomy, xxxv (2004), 387–420.
32.
HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
33.
Letter of 11 July 1847, Memoirs, 342. Mary's will is in the National Archives, Prob 11/1794.
34.
He went with Lieutenant-General Jan Komarzewski, one of John's godfathers. Both men were granted the freedom of the city of Glasgow, and William received the diploma of his honorary doctorate of Glasgow University. Chronicle, 233–7; RAS Herschel MS W.7/15. John's other godfather was William Watson (letter from Watson to William, 31 January 1794, W.1/13.W.63).
35.
Marion Hardcastle (daughter of John), typescript biography “Concerning John”, Herschel Family Archives.
36.
“1807 Aug 1. A boat for my son to fish, 8s.”; “1808 Aug 3 My son for fishing &c 17s”, John Herschel, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
37.
GrettonJohn, presumably the son of George Gretton, cited by Hardcastle, “Concerning John” (ref. 35).
38.
The house was known as “The Grove” when the Herschels first moved there. In Hunts (1846) and Kelly's (1847) directories it is listed as “Mrs Herschel's House” and in the 1851 Census it is “Herschel House”. In Danks (1864) and the Post Office (1869) directories it is “Herschel's House”, but in Harrods (1876) it is once more “Grove House”. In 1887 Kelly's refers to it as “Herschel”, although it was no longer occupied by the family. But soon thereafter Prof. A. S. Herschel moved in, and from September 1888 (Slough Observer) until its demolition in August 1960 it was known as “Observatory House”. Information from Tony Pilmer, Local Studies Librarian, Slough Borough Council.
39.
Hardcastle, “Concerning John” (ref. 35).
40.
Caroline's biographical notes, cited by Hardcastle, “Concerning John” (ref. 35).
41.
Hardcastle, “Concerning John” (ref. 35).
42.
Information from the Archivist of Eton College, November 2009.
43.
GreatheadBertie, writing to William Herschel, 2 November 1800, RAS Herschel MS, W.1/13. G.16.
44.
Chronicle, 298.
45.
John owned a print of Gretton's pupils “Dedicated to the Nobility and Gentry educated at Hitcham House”, according to Hardcastle, “Concerning John” (ref. 35).
46.
Gretton was ordained deacon in 1776 and priest in 1778. He became Dean of Hereford in 1809, and died 26 August 1820.
47.
Information from the archivist of Trinity College, Cambridge, November 2009. Gretton won the prizes in 1777 and 1779.
48.
£30 a quarter, John Herschel, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
49.
“Hitcham House” by SeniorAlan, Hitcham and Taplow Society newsletter, no. 83 (2005).
50.
Luscombe was paid £26 on 7 August 1804 and £60.3s.6d on 27 December, HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
51.
On 26 January 1805, with 5s. in his pocket, HerschelJohn, “Recovery of dates” (ref. 14).
