The Historical Meridian: Antiquity and Scripture in the Public Work of George Biddell Airy

Abstract

George Airy, the Astronomer Royal between 1835 and 1881, was the most prolific public scientist and governmental adviser in nineteenth-century Britain. His contributions to parliamentary commissions, like his management of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, have been characterised as an attempt to impose order across Victorian society. However, the cultural subtext to this governmental work has not been explored. By profiling his non-professional investigations into ancient history and scriptural criticism, recorded in the Royal Observatory archives, this article examines the ideas and beliefs that framed Airy’s contribution to Victorian governance. In doing so, it reveals intimate connections between science, administration and cultural heritage in Victorian Britain.