I would give a series of Astronomical Lectures to the people of Ipswich.  I therefore arranged with great care the necessary apparatus, and lectured six evenings in a room (I forget its name—­it might be Temperance Hall—­high above St Matthew’s Street), from Mar. 13th to the end of the week.  A shorthand writer took them down:  and these formed the ‘Ipswich Lectures,’ which were afterwards published by the Ipswich Museum (for whose benefit the lectures were given) and by myself, in several editions, and afterwards by Messrs Macmillan in repeated editions under the title of ’Airy’s Popular Astronomy.’—­It had been found necessary to include under one body all the unconnected Commissions of Sewers for the Metropolis, and Lord Morpeth requested me to be a member.  Its operations began on Oct. 28th.  In constitution it was the most foolish that I ever knew:  consisting of, I think, some 200 persons, who could not possibly attend to it.  It came to an end in the next year.”

Of private history:  “I was at Playford from Jan. 1st to 11th, and again from Jan. 17th to 25th:  also at Playford from June 21st to July 12th.—­From Aug. 23rd to Sept. 12th I was in Ireland on a visit to Lord Rosse at Parsonstown, chiefly engaged on trials of his large telescope.  I returned by Liverpool, where I inspected the Liverpool Equatoreal and Clockwork, and examined Mr Lassell’s telescopes and grinding apparatus.—­From Dec. 6th to 20th I was at Edinburgh with my wife, on a visit to Prof.  J. D. Forbes.  We made various excursions, and I attended lectures by Prof.  Wilson and Sir W. Hamilton:  on the 18th I gave a lecture in Prof.  Forbes’s room.  I received the Honorary Degree of LL.D., and made a statement on the Telescopes of Lord Rosse and Mr Lassell to the Royal Society of Edinburgh.  Returned to Greenwich by Brampton.”

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Here is a reminiscence of the “Ipswich Lectures,” in a letter to his wife, dated Playford, 1848 Mar. 14, “At the proper time I went to the hall:  found a chairman installed (Mr Western):  was presented to him, and by him presented to the audience:  made my bow and commenced.  The room was quite full:  I have rarely seen such a sea of faces; about 700 I believe.  Everything went off extremely well, except that the rollers of the moving piece of sky would squeak:  but people did not mind it:  and when first a star passed the meridian, then Jupiter, then some stars, and then Saturn, he was much applauded.  Before beginning I gave notice that I should wait to answer questions:  and as soon as the lecture was finished the Chairman repeated this and begged people to ask.  So several people did ask very pertinent questions (from the benches) shewing that they had attended well.  Others came up and asked questions.”

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