Abstract
Abstract This chapter examines the outputs and conclusions of the British Magnetic Scheme. By the 1850s, the BMS was drawing to a close. Edward Sabine was keen to stress the value of the enterprise, especially its confirmation of a link between the Earth’s magnetism and solar flares. Yet much of the initial promise of the BMS had failed to be realized. However, throughout the 1850s, there remained considerable interest in extending the project’s research, notably through a new survey of the magnetism of the British Isles, which this chapter explores. Importantly, it is here discussed how all this magnetic investigation fitted within the broader solution of magnetic compass error. With ships such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Eastern employing ever-increasing amounts of iron, the search for an answer as to how to manage compasses and secure accurate navigation took on a growing urgency. This chapter explores how the magnetic data of the British Magnetic Scheme was conscripted within new approaches to ensuring reliable navigation.
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