Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse KP FRS(17 November 1840 – 29 August 1908) was the son and successor of the astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...

 William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, Knight of the Order of St Patrick was an Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope "Leviathan", built 1845, was the world's largest telescope until the early 20th century.-Life:He was born in Yorkshire, England, in the city of...

 who built the "Leviathan of Parsonstown
Leviathan of Parsonstown
Leviathan of Parsonstown is the unofficial name of the Rosse six foot telescope. This is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 in aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100 in Hooker Telescope in 1917...

" telescope, largest of its day, and his wife, the Countess Rosse (née Mary Field), an amateur astronomer and pioneering photographer. His name is often given as Laurence Parsons.

He served as the eighteenth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...

 between 1885 and 1908. His father served as the sixteenth Chancellor.

Although overshadowed by his father (when astronomers speak of "Lord Rosse", it is almost always the father that they refer to), he nonetheless pursued some astronomical observations of his own, particularly of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in December 1867 and delivered the Bakerian lecture
Bakerian Lecture
The Bakerian Lecture is a prize lecture of the Royal Society, a lecture on physical sciences.In 1775 Henry Baker left £100 for a spoken lecture by a Fellow on such part of natural history or experimental philosophy as the Society shall determine....

 there in 1873. He was vice-president of the society in 1881 and 1887.

Marriage and children

He married Frances Cassandra Hawke, daughter of Edward Harvey-Hawke, 4th Baron Hawke and Frances Fetherstonhaugh, on 1 September 1870. They had three children:
  • William Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse
    William Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse
    William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse was the son of Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse and Frances Cassandra Hawke. He was elected a Representative Peer in 1911...

     (14 June 1873 – 10 June 1918), married Frances Lois Lister-Kaye, daughter of Sir Cecil Lister-Kaye, 4th Baronet and Lady Beatrice Adeline Pelham-Clinton
  • Hon. Geoffry Lawrence Parsons (24 May 1874 – 13 May 1956), married Margaret Betty Gladstone, daughter of Sir John Gladstone, 4th Baronet
    Sir John Gladstone, 4th Baronet
    Sir John Evelyn Gladstone Bt was the 4th Baronet of Fasque and Balfour. He succeeded to the title on 25 June 1926 on the death of his cousin, Sir John Robert Gladstone, the 3rd Baronet...

  • Lady Muriel Frances Mary Parsons (13 November 1876 – 10 April 1927), married Brigadier-General Harold Maxwell Grenfell, son of Pascoe du Pre Grenfell and Sophia Grenfell

Sources


Obituaries

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