| Stephen Groombridge Born: 7-Jan-1755
Birthplace: Goudhurst, Kent, England
Died: 30-Mar-1832
Location of death: London, England
Cause of death: Natural Causes
Remains: Buried, Goodhurst Churchyard, Goudhurst, Kent, England
Gender: Male
Religion: Christian
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Astronomer Nationality: United States
Executive summary: A Catalogue of Circumpolar Stars Self-taught astronomer Stephen Groombridge was for many years a merchant and importer, specializing in trade with the West Indies, but he was always fascinated by the heavens. In 1806 he hired noted instrument-maker Edward Troughton to construct one of the first modern transit circles, and he then spent ten years making thousands of observations with it. Intending to create a thorough catalogue of known stars within 50° of the North Pole, in 1815 he retired from his business, and spent the next decade continuing his observations while double-checking his data, making corrections for refraction, instrument error and clock error. When a stroke left Groombridge paralyzed and unable to complete his work, the catalogue was finished by friends and fellow scientists, and published after Groombridge's death. He was one of the founding members of the Astronomical Society of London, now known as the Royal Astronomical Society, and he is the namesake of one of the stars he discovered, the sub-dwarf Groombridge 1830 in the Ursa Major constellation. Father: Thomas Groombridge (b. 1721, d. 6-Mar-1797)
Mother: Mary Groombridge (b. 1718, m. 1745, d. 1-Apr-1793)
Brother: Thomas Groombridge (b. 16-Jul-1746, d. 3-Dec-1754)
Brother: John Groombridge (b. 13-Apr-1748, d. 15-Mar-1751)
Sister: Mary Groombridge (b. 31-Aug-1750, d. 7-Dec-1751)
Brother: Peter Groombridge (b. 26-Aug-1752, d. 23-Oct-1752)
Sister: Elizabeth Groombridge (b. 26-Aug-1752, d. 23-Oct-1752)
Sister: Ann Groombridge (b. 22-Nov-1756, d. 2-Nov-1763)
Wife: Lavinia Martha Treacher (m. 24-Jan-1793, one daughter)
Daughter: Mary Susanna Groombridge Smart
Royal Society 1812
Royal Astronomical Society
Stroke 1827
Paralyzed 1827
Author of books:
A Catalogue of Circumpolar Stars (a.k.a. Groombridge Catalogue) (1833, posthumous)
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