John Allan Broun
Encyclopedia
John Allan Broun FRS (21 September 1817 – 22 November 1879) was a Scottish
magnetician and meteorologist who carried out his studies on magnetism in India
. One of the fundamental discoveries he made was that the Earth
loses or gains magnetic intensity not locally, but as a whole. He also found that solar activity causes magnetic disturbances.
. The observations Broun made at Makerstoun were published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
, India
. Trivandrum is today known as Thiruvananthapuram, and is the capital of the Indian State of Kerala
, but then it was the capital of the princely state
of Travancore, a territory in a subsidiary alliance
with British India. The observatory had been founded in 1841 by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
, the Maharajah of Tranvacore. The first director of the observatory was John Caldecott (1800-1849). The observatory, which still exists and is now part of the University of Kerala, is one of the oldest of its kind in modern India. The rulers of Tranvacore while Broun was there were Uthradom Thirunal
(until 1860) and then Ayilyam Thirunal
.
Broun, while still in India, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
of London in 1853. He also built an observatory on Agastya Mala
, the highest peak in Travancore, and helped to found the museum and zoological gardens in Trivandrum. This museum was later demolished and replaced by what is now called Napier Museum
. The original zoological gardens still survive as Trivandrum Zoo
.
, Switzerland, and then Stuttgart
, Germany, before arriving in London
, England, in 1873. He then, with a grant from the Royal Society, worked on analysing magnetic observations made at colonial stations. He also published reports on the Makerstoun and Trivandrum observatories. In 1878, he was awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal
for over 35 years of work on magnetism and meteorology.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
magnetician and meteorologist who carried out his studies on magnetism in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. One of the fundamental discoveries he made was that the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
loses or gains magnetic intensity not locally, but as a whole. He also found that solar activity causes magnetic disturbances.
Early years
Broun was born in Dumfries and educated at Edinburgh University and was later the director of the magnetic observatory at Makerstoun, in Scotland, from 1842 to 1849. This observatory had been founded by Sir Thomas BrisbaneThomas Brisbane
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
. The observations Broun made at Makerstoun were published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Work in India
From 1852, Broun was director of Trivandrum Magnetic Observatory, in Trivandrum, in TravancoreTravancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Trivandrum is today known as Thiruvananthapuram, and is the capital of the Indian State of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, but then it was the capital of the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Travancore, a territory in a subsidiary alliance
Subsidiary alliance
A subsidiary alliance is an alliance between a dominant nation and a nation that it dominates.-British policy in India:The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Marquess Wellesley, British Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805...
with British India. The observatory had been founded in 1841 by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the state of Travancore , in India. He reigned under the regency of his mother Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi from 1813 till 1815 and henceforth under the regency of his aunt Maharani Gowri Parvati Bayi from 1815 till 1829...
, the Maharajah of Tranvacore. The first director of the observatory was John Caldecott (1800-1849). The observatory, which still exists and is now part of the University of Kerala, is one of the oldest of its kind in modern India. The rulers of Tranvacore while Broun was there were Uthradom Thirunal
Uthradom Thirunal
Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchi Pala Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Maharaja Raja Rama Raja Bahadur Shamsher Jung was the Maharajah of Travancore state in southern India, succeeding his elder brother Maharajah Swathi Thirunal in 1846 till his demise in 1860...
(until 1860) and then Ayilyam Thirunal
Ayilyam Thirunal
Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma was the ruler of the princely state of Travancore in India from 1860 to 1880. His reign was highly successful with Travancore gaining the appellation of "model state of India"...
.
Broun, while still in India, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
of London in 1853. He also built an observatory on Agastya Mala
Agastya Mala
Agastya Mala is a peak within Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala in the Western Ghats of South India. The mountain lies on the border between the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
, the highest peak in Travancore, and helped to found the museum and zoological gardens in Trivandrum. This museum was later demolished and replaced by what is now called Napier Museum
Napier Museum
The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram , the capital city of Kerala, India.-History:...
. The original zoological gardens still survive as Trivandrum Zoo
Trivandrum Zoo
The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It occupies of woodland, lakes, and lawns.-History:...
.
Later career
Braun left India in 1865, living in LausanneLausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland, and then Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany, before arriving in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, in 1873. He then, with a grant from the Royal Society, worked on analysing magnetic observations made at colonial stations. He also published reports on the Makerstoun and Trivandrum observatories. In 1878, he was awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal
Royal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
for over 35 years of work on magnetism and meteorology.
Sources
- Entry for John Allan Broun in Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
(1903) - A. M. Clerke, Anita McConnell, Broun, John Allan (1817–1879), rev. Anita McConnell, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
- Entry for Broun in the Royal Society's Library and Archive catalogue's details of Fellows (accessed 22 April 2008)
- History of the University, including the University Observatory, from the University of Kerala
External links
- Manuscripts of John Allan Broun, from the National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
- John Allan Broun entry at the UK's National Archives
- History of Trivandrum Museum, with three reports by Broun on the museum, the zoological park and the gardens at Trivandrum