Thomas Brisbane

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Sir Thomas Makdougall-Brisbane, 1st Baronet

Sir Thomas Makdougall-Brisbane, 1st Baronet (born July 23, 1773 in Largs , † January 21, 1860 ibid) was a soldier and astronomer .

family

He was the older son of Thomas Brisbane († 1812), landlord of Brisbane near Largs in Ayrshire , and Eleanora Bruce, daughter of Sir William Bruce, 4th Baronet.

In November 1819 he married Anna Maria Makdougall, only daughter of Sir Henry Hay-Makdougall, 4th Baronet. When his father-in-law died in 1825, Brisbane added his family name from "Brisbane" to "Makdougall-Brisbane" as his heir. From his marriage he had two daughters and two sons, who, however, all died childless before him.

education

He was raised by private tutors and studied at Edinburgh University , where he was trained in astronomy and mathematics , among other things . He completed his studies with a doctorate in law (DLL).

Service in the army

In 1789 he joined the British Army as an officer , served in Ireland , Flanders , the West Indies , Spain, southern France and North America and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General .

Gubernatorial time

From December 4, 1821 to December 1, 1825, Brisbane was Governor of New South Wales . During this period, the Brisbane River (1823) and the city of Brisbane (1824) were named after him. As governor from 1821 he was competent, but problems with his administration in the form of civil servants made him grateful to return to his observatory in 1825.

Merits in astronomy

Astronomy was one of Brisbane's main interests. In 1808 he established an observatory in Ayrshire . From this point it was possible for him to contribute to the progress in the field of navigation that took place over the next hundred years. When he was appointed governor, he took all of his instruments and the two astronomers Karl Rümker and James Dunlop with him to New South Wales. This enabled him to devote himself more to astronomical observations during the time when Governor Lachlan Macquarie was still in office. He also founded the first well-equipped Australian observatory in Parramatta , west of Sydney, in 1822. In 1828 he was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society . In 1835 he published The Brisbane Catalog , a star catalog in which 7,385 stars of the southern hemisphere were recorded. The Parramatta observatory was in operation until 1855.

Titles of nobility, medals and honors

In recognition of his military achievements, he was raised to the personal nobility on January 2, 1815 as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath . In 1831 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Guelph Order . In 1836 he was given the hereditary title of Baronet , of Brisbane in the County of Ayr. On February 6, 1837, he was raised to the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. In 1848 he was awarded the Keith Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

In 1810 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society . From 1818 he was a corresponding member of the Académie des sciences .

The Brisbane lunar crater is named after him. He is also mentioned in the dedication of the asteroid (5277) Brisbane as the namesake of the city of Brisbane. The Royal Society of Edinburgh awards the Sir Thoms Makdougall Brisbane Medal to young scientists for outstanding achievements in the Physical, Engineering & Informatic Sciences .

death

He died on January 21, 1860 at his Largs estate. He was buried in the Brisbane Aisle family mausoleum there. Since he left no descendants, his baronet title expired on his death.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 220
  2. ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 451
  3. ↑ Baronetage: BRISBANE of Brisbane, Ayr at Leigh Rayment's Peerage
  4. ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 187
  5. ^ Entry on Brisbane; Sir; Thomas Makdougall (1773-1860) in the Archives of the Royal Society , London
  6. ^ List of members since 1666: Letter B. Académie des sciences, accessed on September 27, 2019 (French).
  7. ↑ MPC
  8. ↑ Early Career Medals. Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed April 9, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Brisbane, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Makdougall-Brisbane, Sir Thomas, 1st Baronet
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish astronomer and Governor of New South Wales
DATE OF BIRTH July 23, 1773
PLACE OF BIRTH Largs , Scotland
DATE OF DEATH January 21, 1860
Place of death Largs , Scotland