John Welsh
John Welsh (1824–1859), meteorologist
1824 Born at Boreland, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 27 September 1824.
1835 His father, who held a small estate which had been long in the family, died in 1835 and his mother settled at Castle Douglas, where Welsh received his early education.
1839 he entered the University of Edinburgh with a view to becoming a civil engineer
1842 Sir Thomas Brisbane engaged Welsh as an observer at his magnetical and meteorological observatory at Makerstoun under John Allan Broun, then director.
1850 Welsh was appointed assistant to Francis Ronalds, superintendent at Kew observatory.
1852 Became superintendent of the observatory. Between August and November 1852 Welsh and Charles Green made four balloon ascents from Vauxhall in order to make meteorological observations.
1854 Welsh and the barometer maker Alexander Adie made several voyages to investigate and remedy the pumping, or motion, of mercury in marine barometers.
1855 Welsh supervised at the Paris Exhibition the exhibit of magnetic and meteorological instruments used at Kew.
1856 A set of self-recording magnetic instruments was constructed, based on the models devised originally by Ronalds and improved by Welsh.
1857 Welsh was elected FRS.
1859 Died at Falmouth
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography, ODNB