Science does not exist in isolation. Why am I bringing this up now, the day before Thanksgiving? It has nothing to do with anything happening in the modern world. Rather, I wish to share an insight from my current National Novel Writing Month project about astronomer Caroline Herschel. Quick brag: I am at 45,427 words. But who’s counting.
Stable government/stable science
In 1785, astronomer William Herschel moved with his sister Caroline to the area around Windsor. The sole purpose of the move was to be close to the royal family of England headed by King George III. The royals lived mostly at the Queen’s House, not far from Windsor Castle. In addition to supporting his work, the King and quite a few of his children were truly interested in astronomy. Several of them (13 of 15 lived to adulthood) frequented William’s home to look through his telescopes.
This is just one example, of course. However, it made me realize how many of the Herschel’s discoveries occurred because that support existed. I am sure that both William and Caroline would have worked to get support elsewhere. The point is, they did not have to. Science needs supporters. It does not exist in isolation,
This relationship continued throughout William’s life, and probably would have continued with Caroline had she not moved back to her birthplace in Germany after his death in 1822.
Unstable government/unstable science
During much of this period (1789-1815) France was first shattered by the revolution, and then consumed with the Napoleanic wars. At the same time that Caroline was making many of discoveries of comets, France was sending some of its scientists to the guillotine.
This is not to say that no scientific discoveries occurred during that period in France. It simply points out how difficult it is to make scientific progress in periods of political and societal unrest.
No guarantees of stability in a monarchy
While England at the time the Herschel’s lived had been a constitutional monarchy for sometime, the succession of the throne still mattered to how the English viewed themselves and their country.
Even though King George III had 13 children reach adulthood, by 1816 only one, the eldest son George, by then both Prince of Wales and Prince Regent, had a legitimate child. She was Princess Charlotte, and she married in 1816. In 1817, Princess Charlotte, the heir presumptive, died in childbirth, as did her baby.
The three as yet unmarried male children of the King were married by 1818, as was Princess Elizabeth, in a deliberate effort to get an heir to the throne for the next generation. The youngest of these, the Prince Adolphus, was already over 40 years of age. Princess Victoria, born in 1819 to Prince Edward, was the eldest of these children, and became Queen Victoria upon the death of her uncle, King William.
How did the scramble for an heir affect Caroline Herschel?
In my fictionalized life of Caroline Herschel, she forms a friendship with Prince Adolphus. There is enough existing evidence for this. I believe (but don’t know) that part of the reason why she left in England in 1822 was that her brother had died, and she was no longer close with the Prince after his marriage.