“My connection with Groombridge’s Catalogue of Stars began in 1832, and the examination, in concert with Mr Baily, of the edition printed by Mr Henry Taylor, resulted in its condemnation.  In 1834 I volunteered to the Admiralty to prepare a new edition, and received their thanks and their authority for proceeding.  It required a great deal of examination of details, and much time was spent on it in 1836:  but it was not brought to the state of readiness for press.

“My predecessor, Mr Pond, died on Sept. 7th 1836, and was interred in Halley’s tomb in Lee churchyard.”

* * * * *

The following letter was written by Airy in support of the application for a pension to Mrs Pond, who had been left in great distress: 

To HENRY WARBURTON, ESQ.

“The points upon which in my opinion Mr Pond’s claims to the gratitude of Astronomers are founded, are principally the following. First and chief, the accuracy which he introduced into all the principal observations.  This is a thing which from its nature it is extremely difficult to estimate now, so long after the change has been made, and I can only say that so far as I can ascertain from books the change is one of very great extent:  for certainty and accuracy, Astronomy is quite a different thing from what it was, and this is mainly due to Mr Pond.  The most striking exemplification of this is in his laborious working out of every conceivable cause or indication of error in the Circle and the two Circles:  but very great praise is also due for the new system which he introduced in working the Transit.  In comparing Mr Pond’s systems of observation with Dr Maskelyne’s, no one can avoid being impressed with the inferiority of Dr Maskelyne’s.  It is very important to notice that the continental observatories which have since attracted so much attention did not at that time exist or did not exist in vigour. Secondly, the attention bestowed by Mr Pond on those points (chiefly of sidereal astronomy) which he regarded as fundamental:  to which such masses of observations were directed as entirely to remove the doubts from probable error of individual observations or chance circumstances which have injured many other determinations. Thirdly, the regularity of observation.  The effect of all these has been that, since the commencement of Mr Pond’s residence at Greenwich, Astronomy considered as an accurate representation of the state of the heavens in the most material points has acquired a certainty and an extent which it never had before.  There is no period in the history of the science so clean.  On some matters (in regard to the choice of observations) I might say that my own judgment would have differed in some degree from Mr Pond’s, but one thing could have been gained only by giving up another, and upon the general accuracy no improvement could have been made.  Mr Pond understood nothing of physical astronomy; but neither did anybody else, in England.