With many thanks to Tony Deyes for organising this trip and to Charlotte, and her assistant Les, for their enthusiasm and detailed knowledge of the work of William and his sister Caroline Herschel.
William was an extraordinary astronomer and renowned telescope maker.His father, Isaac, was bandmaster of the Hanoverian Guards, and William joined him in the band as an oboist and violinist when he was fourteen, alongside his elder brother, Jacob. When the in 1757, Isaac convinced the then eighteen-year-old William to flee and seek sanctuary in England.
William arrived in London as a refugee, having fled Germany shortly after the French invaded Hanover in 1757. William was an aspiring composer and accomplished musician. He took up a position in charge of a small military band in Richmond, Yorkshire and found freelance musical work across the north of England.
William took up a hobby his father had introduced him to as a child, studying the stars and deep space.
He went on to secure a position as the organist at the Octagon Chapel in Bath in 1766 enabled William to finally rent a house in Bath and this allowed his astronomical curiosity to flourish.
William would go on to make bigger and bigger telescopes, his most successful was his 20-foot, and his largest, the enormous 40-foot. Around 1781 he discovered the planet Georgium Sidus’, as William originally named it after King George III, or as we know it today Uranus.
Caroline originally trained as William’s observing assistant and then became an equal partner. She was the first woman to be paid a salary as a professional astronomer.
When William was away from home, Caroline took up the observing mantel herself, sweeping the night sky for unusual objects. She achieved great success in this, discovering eight comets and fourteen nebulae.
Dave
"A memorable visit to the William Herschel Museum in Bath in April 2026, where we had a guided tour of the home William shared with his sister Caroline, after they arrived from Germany; showing his early musical career, the workshop where telescopes were made, and the garden from where the planet Uranus was discovered. The day concluded with well-earned refreshments (and cake) in one of Bath's finest coffee shops."
Peter
If you want to be part of the next one, contact Dave, who will let you know about membership. See our programme of scheduled activities in 2026.
You can opt to be added to the Discord channel and CCAC Anouncements group, we take the opportunity of a clear sky to organise an impromptu observation evenings, as well as the planned monthly.