William & John Herschel

Scientist, Musician, Mathematician and Astronomer

A small stone in memory of Sir William Herschel, astronomer and musician, was unveiled in the nave of Westminster Abbey on 8th November 1954. The memorial was renewed in cast iron in 1986. The inscription reads:

Coelorum Perrupit Claustra 1738 William Herschel 1822 Alibi Sepultus

The Latin translates as:

He broke through the confines of the heavens. Buried elsewhere.

He lies at St Laurence's church, Upton, near Slough, Buckinghamshire.

Nearby is the grave of his son Sir John Frederick William Herschel, mathematician and astronomer. The Latin inscription on his stone can be translated:

John Herschel, of William Herschel the only son by birth, in work and in fame; having explored the Heavens, he rests here near Newton. One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts Psalm 145. 4-5. He lived 79 years, and died 11 May 1871.

His life

William [christened Friedrich Wilhelm] was born at Hanover in Germany on 15th November 1738, son of Isaac and Anna. Like his father he played in a military band. He settled in England with his brother Jacob and worked as a musician and organist and became a gifted amateur astronomer and a telescope maker. His sister Caroline assisted him. She returned to Germany after his death and died on 9th January 1848. She was elected an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society and received many gold medals for her work.

In 1781 he discovered the planet Uranus. This brought him worldwide recognition and a Fellowship of the Royal Society, and he is known as the father of modern stellar astronomy. He was knighted in 1816.

He married widow Mary Pitt in 1788 at Upton, and their only son, John Frederick William, was born on 7th March 1792.

John F.W. Herschel

John attended St John's College, Cambridge and was a mathematician, chemist and astronomer. While living in South Africa he established the first observatory in the southern hemisphere. He received Gold Medals for his method of calculating the orbits of binary stars, and catalogue of northern nebulae and clusters. In 1838 he was created a Baronet by Queen Victoria. His works included Preliminary discourse on the study of natural philosophy and Treatise on Astronomy. He declined several posts at universities and various scientific societies but was president of the Royal Astronomical Society, and Master of the Royal Mint 1850-55 (a post once held by Newton). He also worked in the field of photography and coined the phrases 'negative', 'positive', and 'snapshot'. In 1829 he married Margaret Brodie Stewart (1810-1884) and had 3 sons and 9 daughters. Their eldest son, Sir William James (1833-1917), was a judge and developed fingerprinting.

As the most eminent scientist in Britain John was accorded burial in the Abbey. A decade later Charles Darwin was buried next to him.