In 1788, at St Laurence’s church in Upton, William Herschel married Mary Pitt. Their only son, John, was born in 1792.
Caroline had been
William’s only companion for so long that the marriage upset
the close relationship between William and his sister. Caroline moved
into a cottage in the grounds of Observatory House (see thumbnails on
the right)and continued to help her brother. The rift between Caroline
and Mary healed over time.
Caroline Herschel
William’s sister, Caroline, was Herschel’s closest
assistant, and his closest companion until he married. She helped her
brother by recording all his notes and observations. William trained
Caroline in the basics of mathematics and astronomy. She was the first
woman scientist and astronomer to be elected to the Royal Society (a
great honour in a time when most scientists were men!)
Caroline was such an important part of William’s work that when King George III rewarded William with £4,000 for the building of his 40foot telescope, he added £50 per year for Caroline!
Did you know??
Caroline Herschel was a brilliant
astronomer in her own right, amongst other things she discovered 8
comets (William never discovered one!).
