Erasmus Ommanney
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Erasmus Ommanney KCB
, FRS, FRGS, JP
(22 May 1814 – 21 December 1904) was a Royal Navy
officer and an Arctic
explorer of the Victorian era
.
in 1814 the seventh son in a family of eight sons and three daughters of Sir Francis Molyneux Ommanney (1774?–1840), a naval agent and from 1818 to 1826 MP
for Barnstaple
, and his wife, Georgiana Frances, daughter of Joshua Hawkes. The Ommanneys had long distinguished themselves in the Royal Navy, Ommanney's grandfather being Rear Admiral
Cornthwaite Ommanney (d. 1801), and his uncles were Admiral
Sir John Acworth Ommanney
and Admiral Henry Manaton Ommanney. Major General Edward Lacon Ommanney Royal Engineers
was his eldest brother and Prebendary
George Druce Wynne Ommanney was a younger brother.
, which in December 1826 convoyed to Lisbon
the troops sent to protect Portugal
against the Spanish invasion. The ship then went to the Mediterranean
, and on 20 October 1827 Ommanney took part in the Battle of Navarino
aged just 13. The captured flag of the Turkish
Commander-in-Chief was handed down by seniority among the surviving officers until 1890, when Ommanney, the sole survivor of the action, presented it to King George I of Greece
.
Having passed his naval examination in 1833, Ommanney served for a short period as mate in the brig HMS Pantaloon
. On 10 December 1835 he was promoted Lieutenant, and in the same month was appointed to the transport ship HMS Cove, which was ordered to Baffin Bay
to release a number of whalers caught in the ice. He received the special commendation of the Admiralty
for this dangerous service. In October 1836 he joined the frigate HMS Pique
, and a year later he was appointed to HMS Donegal
as flag-lieutenant to his uncle, now Sir John Ommanney, Commander-in-Chief on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations.
Ommanney was promoted Commander on 9 October 1840, and from August 1841 to the end of 1844 served on board the steam sloop HMS Vesuvius in the Mediterranean Sea
. Here he was employed on the coast of Morocco
for the protection of British subjects during the French hostilities, which included the bombardment of Tangier
by the Prince de Joinville's naval squadron. Ommanney was promoted Captain
on 9 November 1846, and from 1847 to 1848 was employed under the government commission during the Irish Famine, carrying into effect relief measures and the new poor law. In 1845 Ommanney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and on 4 June 1848 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
When Captain Horatio Austin
was appointed to command HMS Resolute during the Franklin
search expedition in February 1850, he chose his friend Ommanney as second in command. The Resolute and Ommanney's ship, HMS Assistance
, each had a steam tender (Pioneer and Intrepid). The expedition also organized an extensive system of sledge journeys, by which means the coast of Prince of Wales Island was surveyed. On 25 August 1850 Ommanney discovered the first traces of the fate of Sir John Franklin
, which proved that his ships had wintered at Beechey Island
when he discovered "fragments of stores and ragged clothing and the remains of an encampment". On the headland of nearby Beechey Island, Ommanney found a large cairn. More relics were scattered nearby but, although the cairn was dismantled, no further traces of the ill-fated expedition were to be found. The expedition returned to England in October 1851, in which year he was awarded the Arctic Medal
for his scientific researches.
In December 1851 Ommanney was appointed Deputy Controller-General of HM Coastguard, holding this position until the Crimean War
of 1854, when he commissioned HMS Eurydice as senior officer of a small squadron in the White Sea
, where he blockaded Archangel
, stopping the coasting trade, and destroyed Russian Government
property. His White Sea service ended in a battle between his squadron and a Russian Orthodox monastery
at Archangel. Ommanney's service in the Baltic
was marked by his aggressive operations against Russian shore positions and gunboats, summoning defenceless towns to surrender, and his exaggerated reports of successes.
On 14 January 1853 Ommanney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
On 27 February 1844 he married Emily Mary (d. 1857), the daughter of Samuel Smith of HM Dockyard, Malta
. Their son Erasmus Austin Ommanney joined the Royal Navy
in 1863, retired with the rank of Commander
in 1879, took holy orders
in 1883, and was vicar of St Michael's, Southsea
, from 1892 to 1911.
. On 14 July 1871 Ommanney was promoted to Vice Admiral
, retiring on 1 January 1875. He was promoted to Admiral
on the retired list on 1 August 1877, in which year he was knight
ed for his scientific work in the Arctic
. He had been elected FRS in 1868 for the same reason, and to the end of his life continued to take a great interest in geographical work and service subjects. He attended meetings of the Royal Geographical Society
and the Royal United Service Institution
, and for many years he was a councillor of both bodies, and of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
. He was also a JP
for Hampshire. In June 1902 he was made KCB
.
Ommanney died on 21 December 1904 at his son's home, St Michael's vicarage, St Michael's Road, Southsea
, Hampshire
, and was buried in Old Mortlake Cemetery.
Ommanney Bay
on Prince of Wales Island, and Erasmus Ommanney Island , a small crescent-shaped island located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) off the northwestern tip of Jackson Island
in Arctic Russia, are named after him.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Erasmus Ommanney KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, FRS, FRGS, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(22 May 1814 – 21 December 1904) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer and an Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
explorer of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Early life
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1814 the seventh son in a family of eight sons and three daughters of Sir Francis Molyneux Ommanney (1774?–1840), a naval agent and from 1818 to 1826 MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Barnstaple
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
, and his wife, Georgiana Frances, daughter of Joshua Hawkes. The Ommanneys had long distinguished themselves in the Royal Navy, Ommanney's grandfather being Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Cornthwaite Ommanney (d. 1801), and his uncles were Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir John Acworth Ommanney
John Ommanney
Admiral Sir John Acworth Ommanney KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Ommanney joined the Royal Navy in 1786. Promoted Commander in 1796, he was given command of a brig and arrested a fleet of Swedish merchant ships in the North Sea...
and Admiral Henry Manaton Ommanney. Major General Edward Lacon Ommanney Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
was his eldest brother and Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
George Druce Wynne Ommanney was a younger brother.
Naval career
Ommanney entered the Navy aged 12 in August 1826 under his uncle, Captain John Ommanney, the captain of HMS AlbionHMS Albion (1802)
HMS Albion was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Perry's Blackwall Yard on the Thames on 17 June 1802...
, which in December 1826 convoyed to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
the troops sent to protect Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
against the Spanish invasion. The ship then went to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and on 20 October 1827 Ommanney took part in the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
aged just 13. The captured flag of the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Commander-in-Chief was handed down by seniority among the surviving officers until 1890, when Ommanney, the sole survivor of the action, presented it to King George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
.
Having passed his naval examination in 1833, Ommanney served for a short period as mate in the brig HMS Pantaloon
HMS Pantaloon
Two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Pantaloon: was a 10-gun brig purchased in 1831 and broken up in 1852. was a unique 11-gun wooden screw sloop launched in 1860 and sold in 1867.-References:...
. On 10 December 1835 he was promoted Lieutenant, and in the same month was appointed to the transport ship HMS Cove, which was ordered to Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
to release a number of whalers caught in the ice. He received the special commendation of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for this dangerous service. In October 1836 he joined the frigate HMS Pique
HMS Pique (1834)
HMS Pique was a wooden fifth rate warship of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 July 1834 at Devonport. She was of 1633 tons and had 36 guns....
, and a year later he was appointed to HMS Donegal
HMS Donegal (1798)
The Barra was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was renamed Pégase in 1795, and Hoche in 1797. She was captured by the British on 12 October 1798 and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Donegal....
as flag-lieutenant to his uncle, now Sir John Ommanney, Commander-in-Chief on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations.
Ommanney was promoted Commander on 9 October 1840, and from August 1841 to the end of 1844 served on board the steam sloop HMS Vesuvius in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. Here he was employed on the coast of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
for the protection of British subjects during the French hostilities, which included the bombardment of Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
by the Prince de Joinville's naval squadron. Ommanney was promoted Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
on 9 November 1846, and from 1847 to 1848 was employed under the government commission during the Irish Famine, carrying into effect relief measures and the new poor law. In 1845 Ommanney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and on 4 June 1848 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
When Captain Horatio Austin
Horatio Thomas Austin
Sir Horatio Thomas Austin was a British officer in the Royal Navy, and an explorer of the Canadian arctic. Following the 1849 failure of James Clark Ross's attempt to locate the lost Franklin Expedition, Austin led an 1850 expedition that also attempted to find Sir John Franklin and his crew....
was appointed to command HMS Resolute during the Franklin
John Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
search expedition in February 1850, he chose his friend Ommanney as second in command. The Resolute and Ommanney's ship, HMS Assistance
HMS Assistance (1850)
HMS Assistance was an Arctic discovery barque of the Royal Navy, and the sixth vessel to carry the name. She began her life in 1835 as an Indian-built merchant vessel, was purchased in 1850 and participated in two Arctic expeditions before being abandoned in the ice in 1854.-Merchant Navy...
, each had a steam tender (Pioneer and Intrepid). The expedition also organized an extensive system of sledge journeys, by which means the coast of Prince of Wales Island was surveyed. On 25 August 1850 Ommanney discovered the first traces of the fate of Sir John Franklin
John Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
, which proved that his ships had wintered at Beechey Island
Beechey Island
Beechey Island is an island located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada, in Wellington Channel. It is separated from the southwest corner of Devon Island by Barrow Strait...
when he discovered "fragments of stores and ragged clothing and the remains of an encampment". On the headland of nearby Beechey Island, Ommanney found a large cairn. More relics were scattered nearby but, although the cairn was dismantled, no further traces of the ill-fated expedition were to be found. The expedition returned to England in October 1851, in which year he was awarded the Arctic Medal
Polar Medal
The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It was instituted in 1857 as the Arctic Medal and renamed the Polar Medal in 1904.-History:...
for his scientific researches.
In December 1851 Ommanney was appointed Deputy Controller-General of HM Coastguard, holding this position until the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
of 1854, when he commissioned HMS Eurydice as senior officer of a small squadron in the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
, where he blockaded Archangel
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
, stopping the coasting trade, and destroyed Russian Government
Government of Russia
The Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
property. His White Sea service ended in a battle between his squadron and a Russian Orthodox monastery
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
at Archangel. Ommanney's service in the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
was marked by his aggressive operations against Russian shore positions and gunboats, summoning defenceless towns to surrender, and his exaggerated reports of successes.
On 14 January 1853 Ommanney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
On 27 February 1844 he married Emily Mary (d. 1857), the daughter of Samuel Smith of HM Dockyard, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Their son Erasmus Austin Ommanney joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1863, retired with the rank of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1879, took holy orders
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in 1883, and was vicar of St Michael's, Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, from 1892 to 1911.
Later years
Ommanney married Mary Stone in 1862. She died on 1 September 1906, aged 81. In March 1867 he was created CBOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. On 14 July 1871 Ommanney was promoted to Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
, retiring on 1 January 1875. He was promoted to Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on the retired list on 1 August 1877, in which year he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed for his scientific work in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
. He had been elected FRS in 1868 for the same reason, and to the end of his life continued to take a great interest in geographical work and service subjects. He attended meetings of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
and the Royal United Service Institution
Royal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...
, and for many years he was a councillor of both bodies, and of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
. He was also a JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Hampshire. In June 1902 he was made KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
.
Ommanney died on 21 December 1904 at his son's home, St Michael's vicarage, St Michael's Road, Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and was buried in Old Mortlake Cemetery.
Ommanney Bay
Ommanney Bay
Ommanney Bay is an Arctic waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Parry Channel and is a large inlet on the west side of Prince of Wales Island. It was named after the Victorian Arctic explorer and Royal Navy officer Sir Erasmus Ommanney....
on Prince of Wales Island, and Erasmus Ommanney Island , a small crescent-shaped island located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) off the northwestern tip of Jackson Island
Jackson Island
Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....
in Arctic Russia, are named after him.
External links
- Ommanney biography
- Brief Ommanney biography on Find A Grave
- http://www.jstor.org/pss/1775897Ommanney obituary in the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
Journal 1904] - Ommanney on the History Channel
- http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1905MNRAS..65..343.Ommanney's obituary in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical SocietyRoyal Astronomical SocietyThe Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
] - http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC2813Ommanney on the National Maritime MuseumNational Maritime MuseumThe National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
website]