MDMD(2): Notes and Questions

[Matthew P Wiener]

>     43.8  `Raby Meeting' after Raby castle just outside Staindrop in Co
>     Durham.  Anyone know the history of Raby?

According to H W Robinson "Jeremiah Dixon (1733-1779)-A Biographical
Sketch", PAPS v94, #3, June 1950, pp272-4, JD's uncle (and *not* his
father, as often mentioned) was "the famous butler of Raby Castle".

[PAPS = Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society]

According to H P Hollis, F.R.A.S. "Jeremiah Dixon and his Brother",
JBAA v44, #8, June 1934, pp 294-9, though:

[JBAA = Journal of the British Astronomical Association]

	Jeremiah Dixon (b. 1733) and his elder brother, George,
	were the sons of Ralph [sic] Dixon.... In Hutchinson's
	"History and Antiquities of Durham," published about
	1785, they are mentioned with admiration, and it is
	said, incorrectly, that they were the sons of an old
	and faithful servant under the Raby family. The	state-
	ment is apparently based on the fact that a cousin
	(perhaps a distant one) of Ralph Dixon held a position
	as a steward or seneschal at Raby Castle, the seat of
	the Earl of Darlington, afterwards Duke of Cleveland,
	and was evidently esteemed, for his portrait still
	hangs tin the hall at the place with the inscription,
	"An Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile."

So close, but yet so far.  Hollis has a lot of details wrong (which
is not unusual concerning knowledge re JD), but I am pretty certain
our little Israelite quotation is genuine regarding *some* Dixon.

>     45.19  `'Twas Morton his signature' Morton?

This is James Douglas (or maybe Maxwell), Earl of Morton, 1707-68.
Mason's letters to him are addressed "Dr Morton, Sec'y to Royal
Society", and Weld HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY (London, 1858)
says he was on the RS's Council, and that upon his death, a new
President was elected.  The above information is not quite clear,
since Weld's account is tantalizingly incomplete on many details.

>     45.27  `. . . Whenever their circumstances, now uncertain and
>     eventual, shall happen to be reduced to Certainty' Is this from a real
>     `Letter of Reproach and Threat'? (45.5)

Perhaps.  The body of said letter (a rough draft) is reproduced in
R Heathcote Heindel "An Early Episode in the Career of Mason and Dixon"
PH, v6, #1, Jan 1939, pp20-4. [PH=Pennsylvania History]  Heindel then
tells us:

	In a postscript in another hand it was admitted that the
	winds may be uncertain, but they shall at least begin their
	voyage: "The Council do absolutely and expressly direct
	and require Mr. Mason and Mr. Dixon, to go on board and
	enter upon the voyage, be the event as it may fall out."

(I have been typing in various such letters, and hope to send them to
the list later this week.)

>     47.5  `Skanderoon' Where?

The Near East: modern Syria/Turkey area.

>     62.4  `regulus and procyon' the latter is a star near Sirius, the dog
>     Star, from which it generally rises in July (I guess not in the
>     Southern Hemisphere). Cicero calls it Anticanis which is of the same
>     signification (ante canis = pro kuon)

Procyon is the bright star in Canis Minor.  Regulus is the bright star
in Leo.  Yes, these are visible from Cape Town, and it will rise in the
same time frame down there as up here.

>     74.16  `Waddington' any more details

He is historical, he did accompany Maskelyne, and he did leave at his first
opportunity.  His first name was Robert.
--
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba at sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)