The Board of Longitude is the name given in later years to the group of Commissioners who were appointed to administer a series of Government awards or ‘prizes’ for finding longitude at sea. The Board was in existence from 1714 until 1828. Over the years, the composition of the Board and the scope of the awards was amended by various Acts of Parliament.
Amongst those appointed as Commissioners were the Astronomer Royal (A.R.) and the Savilian, Lucasian, and Plumian Professors of Mathematicks in Oxford and Cambridge. A total of seven Astronomers Royal served on the Board.
Name |
A.R. Dates |
Dates on Board |
Capacity in which served |
|
| John Flamsteed | 1675–1719 | 1714–1719 | A.R. | |
| Edmond Halley | 1720–1742 | 1714–1742 | Savilian Professor & A.R. | |
| James Bradley | 1742–1762 | 1721–1762 | Savilian Professor & A.R. | |
| Nathaniel Bliss | 1762–1764 | 1742–1764 | Savilian Professor & A.R. |
|
| Nevil Maskelyne | 1765–1811 | 1765–1811 | A.R. | |
| John Pond | 1811–1835 |
1811–1828 | A.R. | |
| George Airy | 1835–1881 | 1826–1828 | Lucasian Professor |
Longitude Acts – the 23 Acts of parliament relating to the work of the Commissioners
Transcript of the 23 Longitude Acts (text searchable)
The original copy of the1714 Longitude Act in the Parliamentary Archives
Expenses and salaries paid to the Commissioners, Secretary, Superintendents etc
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