Life of James Ferguson, F. R. S.: In a Brief Autobiographical Account, and Further Extended MemoirJames Ferguson (1710-1776) was a Scottish self-taught astronomer, instrument maker and artist. Of humble background, he became a highly successful lecturer on experimental philosophy and science. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1763, received a royal pension, and is particularly remembered as an inventor and improver of astronomical and other scientific apparatus. These include a new type of orrery, clocks, and his astronomical rotula. His lectures and books were noted for their clear explanations for a general audience, and Astronomy Explained upon Sir Isaac Newton's Principles and Made Easy for Those Who Have Not Studied Mathematics (1756) was a bestseller. This autobiographical memoir, expanded by Ebenezer Henderson in 1867, also contains a full description of Ferguson's principal inventions, with many illustrations. |
Contents
Fergusons Preliminary remarks Birth Mistakes the locality of | 1 |
In the Service of a Tippling Miller who left the whole charge of | 21 |
Lady Dipple takes Ferguson to Edinburgh giving him bed and board | 34 |
At Inverness for eight months taking Likenesses Ferguson Compares | 40 |
Professor Maclaurin gets Ferguson to Deliver a Lecture on the Wooden | 43 |
Published a Treatise entitled A Dissertation on the Phenomena of | 50 |
Orrery commenced to make a large wooden one The Moons Concave | 62 |
The Trajectorium Lunare Martin Folkes Esq and the Royal Society | 70 |
In the Service of Alexander Middleton as Shepherd Boy Began to Study | 258 |
Royal Pension to Ferguson Planetarium Astronomical Lectures | 263 |
Remarks Ferguson Applies for the Vacant Situation of Clerk to | 271 |
A New Crane invented by Ferguson Paper on the Great Solar Eclipse | 289 |
On the Quantity and Weight of Water in Pumps Table of Standard | 313 |
New Orrery Claudins Epigrammatic Lines on Archimedess Sphere | 320 |
Bath and Bristol Lectures Newspaper Advertisements Supplement | 338 |
The Young Gentleman and Ladys Astronomy published Electrical | 349 |
Projection of Great Solar Eclipse of July 14th 1748 published A Tract | 96 |
Wrote an Account of the Lever the Pulley the Wheel and Axle | 145 |
Perpetual Pocket Almanack Letter from Ferguson to Hugh Rose Esq | 154 |
Ferguson seemingly applies for some vacant situation Letter from | 166 |
At Norwich Astronomical Lectures and Publication of Brief Descrip | 180 |
Ferguson invented and made a large wooden Orrery The Mechanical | 206 |
Lectures and correcting proof sheets of Astronomy Death of Sir Dudley | 216 |
John Fergusons third son born Pyrometer A New Astronomical | 236 |
In Memoriam Lectures on Select Subjects published The Armillary | 246 |
Lectures at NewcastleonTyne Dr Hutton On the Area of a Circle | 359 |
Death of James Glashan Velocity of Falling Bodies and on the | 377 |
Projection of part of the Sphere Blind Mans Clock Projection of | 404 |
Astronomical Rotula and Tract Revival of the Kennedy Controversy | 444 |
Money Bequeathed to Ferguson Table of the Equation of Time | 452 |
Newspaper Obituary Notices Posthumous Detractor and Defenders Dr Houl | 459 |
491 | |
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Life of James Ferguson, F.R.S.: In a Brief Autobiographical Account, and ... Ebenezer Henderson,James Ferguson No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
12 hours 24 hours annexed appears Astronomy axis Banffshire calculation Capel Lofft centre circle Clock Common Place Book conjunction continuous fractions copy degrees dial dial-plate died diurnal motion drawing Eclipse Edinburgh engraving equal fixed Fleet Street fraction full Moon given globe goes round guson James Ferguson John John Ferguson Julian period Keith Kennedy latitude length letter London lunar machine meridian miles minutes months Moon's motion nodes numbers of teeth orbit orrery paper period pinion planets plate published pulley retrograde motion revolution rotation Rotula round in 24 round the Earth round the Sun Royal Society satellite says Select Mechanical Exercises showing side sidereal sidereal day solar Solar Eclipse square Sun and Moon Sun's synodical period Tables and Tracts thds tion Transit of Venus turns a wheel turns round Venus weight wheel-work wire