George James Symons
Encyclopedia
George James Symons was a British meteorologist who founded and managed the British Rainfall Organisation, an unusually dense and widely distributed network of rainfall data collection sites throughout the British Isles.
He was born in Pimlico
, London. In the late 1850s at about age 20 he studied at the Normal School of Science, which prepared its students to be secondary school science teachers. His physics teacher at the school was John Tyndall
, who was also a scientific advisor to the U.K. Board of Trade
. Symons got a job in the meteorological department at the Board of Trade in 1860 on the strength of Tyndall's recommendation. That meteorological department is the forerunner of today's U.K. Meteorological Office, but at the time its main mission was to upgrade collection of weather data at sea to help predict sea storms.
In 1860 Symons published the first annual volume of British Rainfall, which contained records from 168 land stations in England and Wales. Three years later he resigned his appointment at the Board of Trade, where his rainfall inquiries were not appreciated by his boss Robert FitzRoy
- at least not as a prior study of storm-warnings — and then devoted his whole energies to the organisation of a band of volunteer observers for the collection of particulars of rainfall throughout the British Isles
. So successful was he in this object that by 1866 he was able to show results which gave a fair representation of the distribution of rainfall, and the number of recorders gradually increased until the last volume of British Rainfall which he lived to edit (that for 1899) contained figures from 3528 stations—2894 in England
and Wales
, 446 in Scotland
, and 188 in Ireland
. He printed a monthly rainfall bulletin which evolved into the "Meteorological Magazine".
Apart from their scientific interest, his annual reports are of great practical importance, since they afford engineers and others engaged in water supply much-needed data for their calculations, the former absence of which had on some occasions given rise to grave mistakes. Symons himself devoted special study not only to rainfall, but also to the evaporation and percolation of water as affecting underground streams, and his extensive knowledge rendered him a valuable witness before parliamentary committees. He was responsible for the first systematic recording of rainfall patterns in Britain and Ireland, and never received any payment for his work.
In June 1878 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, his candidacy citation recording that he was: "Author (1) of a series of annual volumes on the rainfall of the British Isles from 1860 to 1870
(2) of a paper on the same subject ordered to be printed in extenso among the reports of the Brit. Ass. 1862
(3) of subsequent yearly reports on the same subject in the same publications
(4) of papers on Anemometry at Bermuda and Halifax published in Admiral FitzRoy's series of Board of Trade Meteorological Papers, and of several minor articles in those publications
(5) of several papers on underground temperature incorporated in recent reports to the British Association
(6) of the revised edition of Petermann's Hydrographical Map.
Designer of the Storm Rain Gauge (for indicating extremely heavy falls of short duration), of the Altameter (for measuring angular elevation), and of various forms of Meteorological Instruments for experimental purposes - Designer also of elaborate experiments which have led to improvements in (1) rain gauges and (2) solar radiation thermometers, and of other experiments still in progress relating to (3) thermometer stands, and (4) the amount of evaporation from a water surface.
In other branches of meteorology also he took a keen interest, and he was particularly indefatigable, though consistently unsuccessful, in the quest of a genuine thunderbolt. The history of the science too attracted his attention, and he possessed a fine library of meteorological works, which passed to the Royal Meteorological Society
at his death. Of that society he became a member when only eighteen, and he retained his connection with it in various official capacities up to the end of his life. He served as its president in 1880, and in view of the celebration of its jubilee was re-elected to that office in 1900, but the illness that caused his death prevented him from acting.
He died in London on the 10th of March 1900, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
in London.
He was born in Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
, London. In the late 1850s at about age 20 he studied at the Normal School of Science, which prepared its students to be secondary school science teachers. His physics teacher at the school was John Tyndall
John Tyndall
John Tyndall FRS was a prominent Irish 19th century physicist. His initial scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he studied thermal radiation, and produced a number of discoveries about processes in the atmosphere...
, who was also a scientific advisor to the U.K. Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
. Symons got a job in the meteorological department at the Board of Trade in 1860 on the strength of Tyndall's recommendation. That meteorological department is the forerunner of today's U.K. Meteorological Office, but at the time its main mission was to upgrade collection of weather data at sea to help predict sea storms.
In 1860 Symons published the first annual volume of British Rainfall, which contained records from 168 land stations in England and Wales. Three years later he resigned his appointment at the Board of Trade, where his rainfall inquiries were not appreciated by his boss Robert FitzRoy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
- at least not as a prior study of storm-warnings — and then devoted his whole energies to the organisation of a band of volunteer observers for the collection of particulars of rainfall throughout the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. So successful was he in this object that by 1866 he was able to show results which gave a fair representation of the distribution of rainfall, and the number of recorders gradually increased until the last volume of British Rainfall which he lived to edit (that for 1899) contained figures from 3528 stations—2894 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, 446 in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and 188 in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He printed a monthly rainfall bulletin which evolved into the "Meteorological Magazine".
Apart from their scientific interest, his annual reports are of great practical importance, since they afford engineers and others engaged in water supply much-needed data for their calculations, the former absence of which had on some occasions given rise to grave mistakes. Symons himself devoted special study not only to rainfall, but also to the evaporation and percolation of water as affecting underground streams, and his extensive knowledge rendered him a valuable witness before parliamentary committees. He was responsible for the first systematic recording of rainfall patterns in Britain and Ireland, and never received any payment for his work.
In June 1878 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, his candidacy citation recording that he was: "Author (1) of a series of annual volumes on the rainfall of the British Isles from 1860 to 1870
(2) of a paper on the same subject ordered to be printed in extenso among the reports of the Brit. Ass. 1862
(3) of subsequent yearly reports on the same subject in the same publications
(4) of papers on Anemometry at Bermuda and Halifax published in Admiral FitzRoy's series of Board of Trade Meteorological Papers, and of several minor articles in those publications
(5) of several papers on underground temperature incorporated in recent reports to the British Association
(6) of the revised edition of Petermann's Hydrographical Map.
Designer of the Storm Rain Gauge (for indicating extremely heavy falls of short duration), of the Altameter (for measuring angular elevation), and of various forms of Meteorological Instruments for experimental purposes - Designer also of elaborate experiments which have led to improvements in (1) rain gauges and (2) solar radiation thermometers, and of other experiments still in progress relating to (3) thermometer stands, and (4) the amount of evaporation from a water surface.
In other branches of meteorology also he took a keen interest, and he was particularly indefatigable, though consistently unsuccessful, in the quest of a genuine thunderbolt. The history of the science too attracted his attention, and he possessed a fine library of meteorological works, which passed to the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
at his death. Of that society he became a member when only eighteen, and he retained his connection with it in various official capacities up to the end of his life. He served as its president in 1880, and in view of the celebration of its jubilee was re-elected to that office in 1900, but the illness that caused his death prevented him from acting.
He died in London on the 10th of March 1900, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
in London.