Ebenezer Henderson (25 February 1809 – 2 November 1879) was a Scottish historian and science writer. His major work was ''The Annals of Dunfermline''.

Life

Henderson was born in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries. The earliest ...

on 25 February 1809; he was ninth of ten children of John Henderson, a watch and clock maker, and his wife Janet. His uncle was the missionary

Ebenezer Henderson Ebenezer Henderson (17 November 178417 May 1858) was a Scotland, Scottish minister and missionary. He spent the early part of his life in Scandinavia, was an accomplished linguist and translator. Life Born at the Linn near Dunfermline, Hender ...

. He learned his father's business, but was particularly interested in scientific pursuits, producing by 1827 an

orrery An orrery is a mechanical Solar System model, model of the Solar System that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and natural satellite, moons, usually according to the heliocentric model. It may also represent ...

and an astronomical clock. Between 1829 and 1863 he lived in England, mainly in Liverpool and London. His nominal post at first was clerk and assistant to his brother, a tanner in

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, but for a period he was curator of the Liverpool Astronomical Institution and Observatory, where he also lectured. Henderson wrote in popular science journals, and continued his astronomical studies, becoming a member of thirteen scientific societies in England. On 9 September 1839 he married Betsy Coldstream Brody. In 1850 he was highly commended by

George Biddell Airy Sir George Biddell Airy (; 27 July 18012 January 1892) was an English mathematician and astronomer, as well as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics from 1826 to 1828 and the seventh Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. His many achievements inc ...

François Arago Dominique François Jean Arago (), known simply as François Arago (; Catalan: , ; 26 February 17862 October 1853), was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer, freemason, supporter of the Carbonari revolutionaries and politician. Early l ...

and others for a mechanism designed to show and check

sidereal time Sidereal time ("sidereal" pronounced ) is a system of timekeeping used especially by astronomers. Using sidereal time and the celestial coordinate system, it is easy to locate the positions of celestial objects in the night sky. Sidereal t ...

. He devoted much time on the archaeological and historical notes that ultimately developed into ''The Annals of Dunfermline''. In 1856 he achieved the recognition of Dunfermline as a city. The freedom of

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was conferred upon Henderson in 1858, and the freedom of Dunfermline in 1859. Henderson became a member of five Scottish scientific societies, and wrote papers both for these and for English societies. In 1866 he settled in Muckhart, at that time in Perthshire. In his latter years he was instrumental in restoring the old market cross of Dunfermline (1868), and "Queen Margaret's Stone", on the Dunfermline and Queensferry road, for which he wrote the inscription. Henderson died in Muckhart on 2 November 1879. He had no children.

Publications

Besides smaller works, Henderson published * ''Historical Treatise on Horology'' (1836) * ''Treatise on Astronomy'', which reached a third edition in 1848 * ''Life of

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, F.R.S., in a brief autobiographical account and further extended Memoir'' (1867) * ''The Annals of Dunfermline and Vicinity, from the earliest authentic period to the present time, A.D. 1069–1878'' (1879)

References

Attribution *

External links

''The Annals of Dunfermline''
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Ebenezer 1809 births 1879 deaths People from Dunfermline 19th-century Scottish historians Scottish science writers Historians of Scotland British scientific instrument makers Scottish clockmakers Scottish curators Scottish astronomers Scottish antiquarians Scottish biographers