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People: Benjamin Davies Evans


Name Evans, Benjamin Davies
 
Place of work Greenwich
 
Employment dates
 c.1902 – 16 May 1912
 
Posts c.1902
Supernumerary Computer

1909, Feb 19
Established Computer
 
Subsequent posts
 1912, May 16
First Assistant, Royal Observatory, Hong Kong
1941–6
Director, Royal Observatory, Hong Kong
 
Born 1887, Jan 2 (India)
Died 1976 (Wandsworth)
 
Family Links Brother of Joseph Edward Evans (Supernumerary/Established Computer)
Cousin of WG Davies (Supernumerary Computer)
 
Known addresses
 1901
Royal Hospital School, Greenwich (1901 census)
1906 Queen’s House, Royal Hospital School, Greenwich (RGO7/28)

Benjamin Davies Evans. Courtesy of the Hong Kong Observatory of HKSAR

Evans arrived at the Observatory as a boy computer, gaining his observing certificate (which entitled him to extra pay) by or in 1905. His father was Joseph Edward Evans (Snr), Headmaster of the Royal Hospital School (retired 1920). He was appointed Established Computer in 1909 in place of John Storey who had resigned to take up the post of assistant at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. In his role as Established Computer, Evans worked on the Transit Circle (Zenith Distances) under Thackeray. He was captain of the Royal Observatory Hockey Team from 1909–12, being described by William Witchell in 1951 as ‘undoubtedly the deadliest shot and cleverest individualist the Club produced. He could be relied upon to score from any angle with a deceptive lifting ball almost impossible to judge.’ Although he left the Observatory to take up a post in Hong Kong in 1912, his involvement with the Hockey Club continued. He is known for example to have been one of its six vice-presidents from 1930–9 and possibly for considerably longer. His replacement at Greenwich was Harold Acton

Evans was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in January 1924.