Sir Francis Ronalds and the early years of the Kew Observatory

Sir Francis Ronalds (1788–1873) played a vital early role in the establishment of the Kew Observatory's stellar reputation in meteorology and geomagnetism. Serving as the Honorary Superintendent for its first decade, his areas of focus became longstanding features of the institution. He invented numerous instruments to institute comprehensive and long‐term measurement of meteorological parameters, atmospheric electricity and geomagnetism. He also supplied equipment around the world, trained operators in its use and compared new instruments with existing standards. Ronalds' sustained efforts and belief in Kew additionally helped to ensure its early survival.