THE LIFE OF
ROGER LANGDON
TOLD BY HIMSELF
With Additions by his Daughter
Ellen
LONDON
ELLIOT STOCK
62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
"PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMY"
[From "Whitaker's Almanack" for 1895, under theheading "Progress of Astronomy."]
Mr. Langdon, station-master at Silverton, onthe Great Western Railway, a self-taught astronomer,died on July 18, 1894. Mr. Langdon madein his spare hours an 8-inch silver-on-glass mirror,grinding it on a machine of his own construction.In 1872 he contributed a paper to the MonthlyNotices of the Royal Astronomical Society on"The Markings of Venus."
PREFACE
THE writing of this foreword to the biography ofthe late Mr. Roger Langdon should have devolvedupon one of the notable personages who had an admirationfor him and his work, but unhappily they have all,or nearly all, passed away. Unquestionably the personbest fitted for the task would have been the late Rev.H. Fox Strangways, rector of Silverton during the periodwhen Mr. Langdon acted as station-master there. Theyhad a very cordial liking and respect for each other, andMr. Strangways could doubtless have imparted a personaland intimate touch to this preface which would havebeen very valuable.
When Miss Ellen Langdon desired me to undertakethis portion of the work I felt honoured, though diffident.A feeling that it was my clear duty to pay any mark ofrespect I could to the memory of this worthy mandecided me to accept her invitation.
My acquaintance with Mr. Langdon dates back to afew years before his death when my father was generalmanager of the Great Western Railway and Mr. Langdonwas still at work at Silverton. My father's attention hadbeen called to the personality and attainments of the[Pg 6]Silverton station-master, and as I was at that timedoing a little journalism in odd moments it was suggestedthat I should run down and write something for theGreat Western Magazine, which I was very pleased to do.
At that little wayside station just on the London sideof Exeter I therefore found myself one summer afternoon.The village of Silverton, distant two miles fromthe station, was not visible, and the principal featuresin the immediate vicinity were the station-master's house,with the front garden between it and the station, and inthe front garden a circular iron building with a cone-shapedrevolving roof, which, I found, was an observatorysheltering a telescope for celestial observation.
The tall, slightly stooping, white-bearded old station-masterat once arrested attention. A dignified, patriarchaltype of man, with a kindly, pleasant and simplemanner, he was evidently much averse to all forms ofaffectation and cant. I was quickly made welcome andintroduced to his wife and well-ordered home.
We were immediately on excellent terms. I rememberthe eager pride with which he showed me his belovedtelescope and its mounting and accessories, including thesidereal clock, and how I gazed under his direction at theheavenly objects which the night disclosed. The eveningwe spent together was a very memorable one. Mr.Langdon recounted the hardships and adventures of hiscareer, and gave me an insight into the m