Object: Book, The Young Gentleman’s Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling by Edward Wells, D.D.
Accession #: 2012.0009
There were five sons in the Randolph family, each of whom was likely given the highest education. The family likely hired a private tutor, who would teach the children year-round. Not only were they taught by a tutor, but also used numerous books to aid their lessons. One such book might have been similar to The Young Gentleman’s Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling by Edward Wells, D.D. This volume on astronomy, as well as related topics, includes multiple illustrations, diagrams, and tables, some of which fold out. The book includes six chapters, three tables, and a catalogue.
Astronomy is the scientific study of the individual celestial bodies (excluding the earth) and of the universe as a whole. Its various branches include astrometry, astrodynamics, cosmology, and astrophysics. Astronomical almanacs show that the colonists, according to one historian, “had a great desire to speculate on the mystical influence of stars on the fate of mankind.” This included providing a connection between health remedies and the timing of the phases of the moon, as the Pennsylvania Dutch believed. Even one of the nation's founding fathers had a keen interest in the subject. When Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, his earliest plan for the curriculum of the school included astronomy. He also made plans for the nation's first observatory and planetarium. The university's observatory was constructed in the 1830s (the first one having failed to be finished before Jefferson died). By this time the federal government had built the U.S. National Observatory and astronomy become, “one of the most popular courses in the American university.”
Along with the subject of astronomy the book also covers chronology and dialing. Chronology is the science of computing time or periods of time and assigning events to their true dates. One historian explains that it was considered a “legitimate field of study through medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods” and even Isaac Newton wrote about the subject in his treatise, The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended. Lastly, The Young Gentleman’s examines dialing, the telling of time using the face of a sundial and the casting of the sun's shadow.
The conviction of the author, Edward Wells, as stated in his preface was that
Wherefore, the most proper method to make Young Gentleman Learned, is this, to teach them at first the only such elements of the Liberal Arts or Sciences, as are most useful in the common affairs of Life, and withal most easy to be known…And when they find that the Understanding thereof has no Difficulty, then they will be also encouraged to proceed. And when they have thus gone through, and become Masters of the most useful and easy Elements of the liberal Arts and Sciences, they will thereby be enabled with much more Ease to conquer the more difficult Parts of Learning, if their own Inclinations shall lead them thereto hereafter, when they are come to Riper Years, and so can judge more rightly of the worth of Learning.
It is possible that the Randolphs saw the importance of studying these subjects as well and had a book similar to this one presenting astronomy, chronology, and dialing to their five young gentlemen.
Bibliography
Aveni, Anthony F. Colonial Williamsburg. “Astronomy and Stargazers”. 4 November 2012.
Latham, Lance. Hermetic Systems. “Technical Chronology”. 4 November 2012.
Wells, Edward. The Young Gentleman’s Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling. Googlebooks. com. 6 November 2012.
“Dialling”. Dictionary.com. 5 November 2012.
“Monograph”. Dictionary.com. 4 November 2012.
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