In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Astronomer Royal worked with just one Assistant. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, staffing levels crept up, peaking at over 250 in the 1970s.
When the Observatory began its Magnetic and Meteorological work in 1840, it was divided into two branches an ‘Astronomical Department / Branch’ and a ‘Magnetic and Meteorological Department / Branch’, in part to reflect their different sources of governement funding. Although these sources were unified under the Admiralty in the late 1860s, the funding requirements of the Magnetic and Meteorological Department / Branch continued to be itemised separately in the estimates until at least the late 1930s.
Although there are sporadic references to departments in the nineteenth century, (for example the Time Department (earliest reference 1861?) or the Photographic and Spectroscopic Department (established 1874)), it was only in 1909 that a Department / Branch structure began to be formally reported.
The introductions to the 1835–1914 volumes of Greenwich Observations detail which staff were allocated to which areas of work, as do the Annual Reports of the Astronomer Royal to the Board of Visitors from 1909 onwards. Formal departmental structures were either suspended or not reported during WW1 and during WW2 and its aftermath.
Published information about departmental organisation became scantier after contol of the Observatory passed from the Admiralty to the Science Research Council in 1965.
Structured as branches under Christie, the Observatory was reorganised into departments by Spencer Jones and then into divisions under Boksenberg.
The observatory was arranged into nine branches:
Transit Circle: Meridian Computations, Transits and Zenith Distances
Reflex Zenith Tube
Altazimuth
Time Signals, Chronometers and 28-inch refractor
Astrographic Equatorial
Thompson Photographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Magnetic and Meteorological
Clerical
Of the nine branches, seven were headed by Assistants and two by Established Computers (Reflex Zenith Tube and Thompson Photographic Equatorial).
The observatory was arranged into eight branches:
Transit Circle: Meridian Computations, Transits and Zenith Distances
Altazimuth
Time Signals, Chronometers and 28-inch refractor
Astrographic Equatorial
Thompson Photographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Magnetic and Meteorological
Clerical
Key change: Cessation of Reflex Zenith Tube Branch.
During WW1, many staff were away and the formal branch structure was put into abeyance.
The observatory was arranged into nine branches:
Transit Circle: Meridian Computations and Zenith Distances
Altazimuth
Time Signals and Chronometers
Astrographic Equatorial
Thompson Photographic Equatorial
28-inch Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Magnetic and Meteorological
Clerical
The observatory was arranged into the following branches:
Transit Circle and Altazimuth
Time Signals and Chronometers
Thompson Equatorial
28-inch Equatorial
Astrographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Magnetic and Meteorological
Secretariat and Library
Key change: Merging of Altazimuth and Transit Circle Branches.
The observatory was arranged into the following branches, with some staff shared between branches:
Transit Circle, Altazimuth & Zenith Telescope
Time Signals and Chronometers
Thompson Equatorial
28-inch Equatorial
Astrographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Magnetic and Meteorological
Secretariat and Library
Key change: Formal inclusion of Zenith Telescope work again.
The observatory was arranged into the following branches, with some staff shared between branches.
Transit Circle, Altazimuth & Zenith Telescope
Time Signals and Chronometers
Thompson Equatorial
28-inch Equatorial
Astrographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph
Small Transit
Magnetic and Meteorological
Secretariat and Library
Key change: Small Transit Branch started
The observatory was arranged into the following branches, with some staff shared between branches.
Transit Circle, Altazimuth & Zenith Telescope
Time Signals and Chronometers
Thompson Equatorial
28-inch Equatorial
Astrographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph and Spectrohelioscope
Small Transit
Magnetic and Meteorological
Secretariat and Library
Key Change: Introduction of the spectrohelioscope.
The observatory was arranged into the following branches, with some staff shared between branches.
Transit Circle & Zenith Telescope
Time Signals and Chronometers
Thompson & Yapp Equatorials
28-inch Equatorial
Astrographic Equatorial
Photoheliograph and Spectrohelioscope
Small Transit
Magnetic and Meteorological
Secretariat and Library
Key Change: The decommissioning of the Altazimuth telescope and the start of operations with the Yapp telescope.
No departments are listed in the annual reports, but in a paper published in 1950, The Astronomer Royal does mention the following (which may or may not be an exhaustive list):
Department of Astrometry and Astrophysics
Meridian Department
Time Department
Chronometer Department
Solar Department
Magnetic and Meteorological Department
Nautical Almanac Office
Key Changes: Staff organised into departments rather than branches.
Astronomer Royal’s Department
Department of Astrometry
Department of Astrophysics
Meridian Department
Time Department
Chronometer Department
Solar Department
Electronics and Cosmic Ray Department
Magnetic and Meteorological Department
Nautical Almanac Office
Key Changes: Splitting of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics into two separate departments. ?Creation of two other new departments.
Astronomer Royal’s Department
Department of Astrometry
Department of Astrophysics
Meridian Department
Time Department
Chronometer Department
Solar Department
Electronics and Cosmic Ray Department
Magnetic and Meteorological Department
Nautical Almanac Office
Cape Observatory
Key change: Responsibility for work at the Cape assumed in 1960.
Astronomer Royal’s Department
Department of Astrometry
Department of Astrophysics
Meridian Department
Time Department
Chronometer Department
Solar Department
Electronics Department
Magnetic Department
Nautical Almanac Office
Cape Observatory
Key change: Cosmic Ray and Meteorological work both discontinued.
Astronomer Royal’s Department
Department of Astrometry
Department of Astrophysics
Meridian Department
Time Department
Kinetheodolite Department
Solar Department
Electronics Department
Magnetic Department
Nautical Almanac Office
Cape Observatory
Key changes: Chronometer work transferred to Ministry of Defence. New Kinetheodolite department established.
No information formally published.
Northern Hemisphere Observatory
Instrumentation and Engineering (Physics, Instrument Development, Engineering Services)
Astrophysics (Research Teams, Solar Department)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer)
Administration (Finance, Personnel, General Administration)
Library Archives
Northern Hemisphere Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments)
Engineering (Project Coordination, Electronics, Engineering Workshop, Drawing Office, INT)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation, Vacuum Physics, Special Duties)
Astrophysics (Research Teams, Solar Department)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration)
Archives, Library, Training, Safety
Northern Hemisphere Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments, NHO Computers, Civil Engineering)
Engineering (Electronics, Engineering Workshop, Design Office, Telescopes Management, Works Unit)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation, Vacuum Physics, Special Duties)
Astrophysics (Research Teams, Solar Department)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration)
Archives, Library, Safety, Training
Northern Hemisphere Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments, NHO Computers, Civil Engineering)
Engineering (Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Workshop, Design Office, Telescopes Management, Works Unit)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation, Vacuum Physics)
Astrophysics (Research Teams, Solar Department)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer, Libraries and Archives)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration)
Public Information Unit, Safety, Training
Northern Hemisphere Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments, NHO Computers, Civil Engineering)
Engineering (Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Workshop, Design Office, Telescopes Management, Works Unit)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation, Vacuum Physics)
Astrophysics (Research Teams)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer, Libraries and Archives)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration)
Public Information Unit, Training, Safety
La Palma Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments, LPO Computers, Civil Engineering)
Engineering (Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Workshop, Design Office, Telescopes Management, Works Unit)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation, Vacuum Physics)
Astrophysics (Research Teams)
Astrometry and Galactic Astronomy (Meridian, Galactic Astronomy, GALAXY)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer, Libraries and Archives)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration, Public Information Unit)
Training, Safety
La Palma Observatory (Project Scientist, Telescopes, Instruments, Computers, Civil Engineering, La Palma Operations)
Engineering (Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Workshop, Design Office, Projects Management, Site Services)
Instrumental Science (Optical Instrumentation, Automation and Detectors, Vacuum Physics)
Astrophysics and Astrometry (Research Teams, Meridian Astrometry, Photographic Astrometry)
Almanacs and Time (HM Nautical Almanac Office, Time, Computer, Libraries and Archives)
Administration (Finance and Accounts, Personnel and General Administration, Public Information Unit)
Training, Safety
Facilities Division
La Palma Construction
Electronics and Computing
Instrument Science
Vacuum Physics
Mechanical Engineering
Operations Division
Herstmonceux Support
Island Team
Astronomy Support and Research Division
Extra Galactic Astronomy
Galactic Astronomy
Meridian Astrometry
Photographic Astrometry
Stars
Computer Department
Dynamical Astronomy and Space Geodesy Division
Library and Archives
Nautical Almanac Office
Time Department
Administration Department
General Administration
Safety
Scientific Administration
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