In Search of William Gascoigne Seventeenth Century Astronomer [Hardcover]

William Gascoigne (c.1612-44) was the inventor of the telescopic sight and micrometer (instruments crucial to the advance of astronomy). His name is now known to historians of science around the world. For some considerable time after his tragic death at the age of 32 in the English Civil War, however, it seemed as if his achievements would be consigned to oblivion. Most of his papers were lost and even the few that survived have largely disappeared. This is the story of how his work was rescued. Into this story is woven an account of the state of astronomy and optics during Gascoignes lifetime, so that the reader can appreciate the significance of his discoveries.

This unique volume forestalls the scientific injustice that could have been inflicted on William Gascoigne. The captivating narrative tracks the gradual recovery of the 17^th-century astronomers trailblazing work on the telescopic sight and the micrometer.

Part 1: The Discovery of William Gascoigne.- Introduction.- The Gascoignes of Thorp-On-The-Hill.- The Discovery of William Gascoigne.- A Light of the First Magnitude.- Derham and de la Hire.- Bevis and de la Hire.- In His Own Hand.- Part 2: Gascoignes World.- The Religious World of William Gascoigne.- The Optical World of William Gascoigne.- The Astronomical World of William Gascoigne.- Part 3: Digging Further.- The Flamsteed Transcriptions.- Bodleian Transcriptions.- British Library MSS and Other Transcriptions.- The Civil War and After.- The Road to Civil War.- After Marston Moor.- The Legacy of William Gascoigne.

From the reviews:

Sellers & has pulled together copious facts on the little-known astronomer William Gascoigne (c. 1612-44). Gascoigne invented the telescopic sight and micrometer, essential instruments for exact measurements in astronomy. & The book surveys Gascoignes life, including the effects of his eras religious and politil£$