Mr Grove of Upper Harley Street London made drawings of Mars on October 26th, 31st and November 3rd 1862. He used a 4.5 inch telescope made by Thomas Cooke of York, the focal length was 6 feet.
He was perfectly satisfied of there being notable changes in the distribution of the lights and shadows, inconsistent, it appears to him, there being land and water, or, as he should perhaps say, land and water only:
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Colonel De Rottenburg wrote in a letter dated June 24th 1860 from Gibraltar. “ I observed a brilliant comet in the constellation of Auriga this evening, a line from beta through a Geminorum continued about three times their distance passed through its nucleus.
It was easily seen with the naked eye, the nucleus was a little less brilliant than Castor . Its altitude above the western horizon about eqwual to that of Venus at the same time.
I turned my 6 feet equatorial of 4.5 inches aperture made by Messrs Thomas Cooke & Sons of |York on the comet.
It has a bifid tail, very like that of the year 1846 as shown in Keith Johnsone’s Atlas of Astronomy which is edited by Mr Hind. I used powers of 26, 50 and 100 on the comet; the nucleus has a very sensible disk. It bore the powers of 100 very well; one portion of the tail is much longer than the other, the south preceding being the longer.
With 100 power the nucleus was situated within the nebulosity, and the nebulosity was more arched and prominent on the south preceding part. It was first seen by a gentleman here on Saturday evening 23rd June.
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Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.
I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the A-Z of Constellations.
The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
In 1865 Dr William Murray Dobie of Kings Buildings, Chester purchased a 6inch Telescope from Thomas Cooke &Sons.
Dr Dobie was advertising for sale a 5.5 inch telescope that he had brought from Cookes in 1863. I have no idea why he was replacing this telescope as he described it as nearly new, it was only 2 years old and he described it as being of the first rate. He was selling this Cooke telescope without its stand,
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Jonathan Crowley of Clarendon Road, London purchased in 1868 a 3 inch telescope with total reflection prism from Thomas Cooke & Sons. This was subsequently changed for a 4 inch telescope also from Thomas Cooke & Sons.
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Alfred Compton a Publican from Barnsbury Terrace in London I don’t know what pub he ran ordered a 3.75 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1864. The instrument had a focal length of 4 feet.
This particular instrument was made in York but sent down to the Cook & Sons shop in Southampton Street London to be collected
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Yet another Cooke in Edinburgh. In 1867 Richard Collins of Capel’s Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh purchased from Thomas Cooke & Sons a 3 inch object glass to go with the tube that had already been sent.
I have no further information regarding this telescope.
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I came across James S Clarke of Derby who purchased an astronomical eyepiece from Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1868, after some research I discovered that he had a 5.25 inch Dollond, but he was using a Cooke & Sons eyepiece.
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It would appear that carpet sellers were also interested in astronomy. In 1865 Thomas Carter of Carter and Mercer, carpet dealers of Ripon in Yorkshire purchased a 2.5 inch telescope plus 3 astronomical eyepieces together with a pancratic terrestrial eye piece and a sun cap.
I have no further information on Thomas Carter.
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In Liverpool between 1851 and 1890 the optical company of Abraham & Co traded on Lord Street, Liverpool. In 1864 they ordered from Thomas Cooke & Sons a plain equatorial mounting on a tripod stand. This was for a 4.5 inch telescope.
As an instrument maker I don’t know why they could not provide a stand for this instrument, unless perhaps the buyer had asked for a Cooke mount.
The cost of this mount was £30 which today would be £4,800.
Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.
I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the A-Z of Constellations.
The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
I have come across another two Cooke telescopes in Edinburgh.
They were both purchased by Daniel Barton of Clarendon Cr. Edinburgh in 1865. The first was a 3 inch telescope and the second was a 4 inch telescope
I have no further information regarding Daniel Barton, I am no sure if his name has any historical reference in Edinburgh.
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In 1866 the optical instrument makers of Charles Baker 244 High Holburn, London ordered from Thomas Cooke & Sons a Barlow lens of power either 300 or 350. Also purchased was an astronomical eyepiece, unfortunately I do not know the power.
The firm of Charles Barker had been formed in 1765 at the above address and they sold optical and surgical equipment. In the mid 1850s they were also selling not only telescopes but also microscopes and accessories.
The firm was acquired by Cooke Troughton and Simms in 1959.
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The Full Moon in January is known as the Wolf Moon, as in ancient times, hungry wolves were heard howling more often than normal at this time of year.
In 1865 George Mansfield Browne of Liverpool purchased a 3.25 inch telescope for £125 that is £19,682 in today's prices from Thomas Cooke & Sons.
I have no information at all about George Mansfield Browne. I don’t know if he had any connection with the Liverpool Astronomical Society?
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In 1866 Rev Henry Boys of Jesus College, Cambridge purchased from Thomas Cooke & Sons, a telescope with a lens which I believe had a diameter of 4.5 inches. The telescope came with a leather case and was being given as a prize.
The instrument came with 6 eyepieces, prism, dark glasses, micrometer &c, divisions on glass, a clip to fix to window sill.
About all I know regarding The Rev Boys is that he died in 1870, he had become a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866 but there is no mention of him in the obituaries.
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In South Yorkshire, Jonathan Booth of Moorgate, Rotherham purchased a 4 inch educational telescope on a mounting with latitude adjustment. This telescope was purchased from Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1865.
As is often the case I unfortunately have no other information on Jonathan Booth.
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Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.
I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the A-Z of Constellations.
The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
Another clergyman the Rev T Bland of Leeds purchased a Thomas Cooke & Sons 3.25 inch telescope in January 1867. Together with the telescope he also purchased an astronomical eyepiece of either 220 or 240 power.
To date I have not been able to discover any astronomical observations by the Rev Bland, it is possible he was a member of the Leeds Astronomical Society.
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Henry John Tuberville who was formerly known as Henry John Blackmore was something of an eccentric with a taste for science and in particular astronomy. He was the elder brother of Richard Doddridge Blackmore who wrote ‘Lorna Doone’
As Henry Blackmore in April 1865 he brought a 4.5 inch educational telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons and in October 1866 as Henry Tuberville he brought a 5.5 inch telescope with a finder, 6 eyepieces, sun prism on an equatorial mounting, strong but as light as possible, on a stout polished mahogany stand. With both telescopes his address was the village of Pilton near Barnstable in Devon.
He changed his name in 1865 it appears due to some family issues, Tuberville was a Catholic family name and he appears to have changed his name with the aim of offending his Church of England relatives.
I cannot find as yet any evidence of any astronomical observations he made or whether he was a member of any astronomical societies in Devon. I also have no idea what happened to his two Cooke telescopes.
Henry Blackmore was born in Berkshire in 1824, his father John Blackmore would become the vicar of Ashford near Barnstable in Devon. In 1857 he inherited some money after an uncle died, and by the time of his death had amassed a fortune of £20,000 which today is worth £2.4 million.
In 1875 when he was 51 Henry Tuberville started to visit Yeovil in Somerset where he became engaged to Elizabeth Maggs who was 23 and the daughter of a chemist Thomas Maggs, he had made several wills the last in 1875 he left everything to Thomas Maggs and his family. There were not surprisingly many objections to the will.
He was taken poorly on August 16th 1875 and as he was a chemist Thomas Maggs was called in to see him, he apparently had a great pain in his leg, the following day he died. The physician Dr. Allridge stated that Tuberville had taken potassium cyanide, although it was never decided how he hot this poison. In the end a jury decided that in a state of unsound mind Tuberville had taken the potassium cyanide.
His brother Richard, believed that Henry had been murdered and tried to get the inquest re opened in this he failed. The mystery is still there today did he commit suicide or was he murdered?
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J. Biggs of Tynemouth purchased in 1859 a 3.25 inch telescope from Thomas Cooke & Sons. It had a 4 feet focal length with finder, eyepiece and prisms with a tripod with steadying rods. The cost was £36, today(2024) that would be £5,580.
Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.
I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the A-Z of Constellations.
The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
Thomas Cooke & Sons of York had a very interesting number of celebrated and famous customers. In 1859 John Couch Adams of the discovery of Neptune fame ordered a universal portable equatorial stand of best construction to carry a telescope of 3.5 inch aperture.
As far as I know the telescope was not made by Thomas Cooke, but I do not have any further information regarding this telescope. Maybe if he had it in 1846 he could have looked for the planet we now call Neptune!!
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On January 11th 1909 James Nangle observed gamma Argus the star we today know as gamma Velorum using a 6.25 inch Thomas Cooke and Sons Telescope. He observed from his private observatory at Marrickville near Sydney, Australia. This was one of a series of double star measurements he was making.
In 1926 James Nangle would become the government astronomer.
He was making double star measurements. Gamma Velorum is the brightest and closest of the massive Wolf Rayet stars. These are stars that will destroy themselves in a supernova explosion in a few million years time.
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On January 9th1889 Mr Read was elected President of the Astronomical Society of Cambden, New Jersey, USA. He had an observatory with a 5.5 inch Thomas Cooke of York telescope with a clockwork drive also supplied by Cooke.
This society would in 1927 become the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society named after David Rittenhouse (1732-1796) the first American astronomer.
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Sir Henry Thompson at his observatory at Hurst Side, West Molesey, Surrey which houses a 12 inch Thomas Cook and Sons of York telescope has been observing the spectra of nebula. The observatory was established here in April 1888.
In 1888 using the 12 inch Cooke he observed the nebula in Orion, between September and December, the Andromeda nebula in October and again in December. He had earlier in the year observed the nebula in Lyra.
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Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the Astronomy Show, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.
Tonight I will take a look at what happened astronomically in 2023 and what we can also expect to see in 2024.
I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the A-Z of Constellations.
The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live on line at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.
On January 2nd and 3rd 1886 the unlit side of the planet Venus was observed from Scarborough. The observations were undertaken by James Wigglesworth who had built an observatory in the town between 1884-1885 and it housed a 15.5 inch Thomas Cooke telescope.
Wigglesworth described his observations as saying that he could clearly see the dark side of Venus through his telescope. It appeared to be grey in colour except near the terminator where the secondary spectrum causes it to appear blue and compared to the bright part of Venus it looks much smaller.
James Wigglesworth a financial adviser who brought the company of Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1879 to save it from bankruptcy. His great interest was in astronomy so he had a 15.5 inch telescope and a 30 feet observatory which would house it to be constructed in Scarborough.
Sadly for Scarborough it’s claim to fame to have a major observatory lasted only for a short period of time because James Wigglesworth died in 1888.
The telescope and observatory were dismantled in 1890 and were sold to the Italian astronomer Vincenzo Cerulli. The observatory today is now as the Terano Observatory and I assume that the 15.5 inch Cooke is still there.
