Thomas Romney Robinson

Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist, was born in Dublin on the 23rd April 1792. Educated at Dr Bruce’s Academy in Belfast and Trinity College Dublin, he became a fellow of the college in 1814 and lectured on natural philosophy for some years. In 1821 he obtained a college living at Enniskillen and in 1823 was appointed astronomer in charge of Armagh Observatory. Shortly afterwards he became rector of Carrickmacross and held this post and the astronomership until his death fifty-nine years later.

In 1859 he published his chief work, Places of 5,345 Stars Observed at Armagh from 1828 to 1854. Many learned societies and universities bestowed honours on him; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 1856. The Royal Society awarded him a gold medal in 1862 for his astronomical work, but he is best known as the inventor in 1846 of the cup-anemometer for registering the velocity of the wind. The cups on the anemometer rotate at about one-third of the velocity of the wind. The number of rotations over a period of time are recorded, and the average wind speed over this period is thus easily calculated. Some more modern Robinson anemometers use three cups instead of four, and they are still in common use today. They are also used for drawing attention to traffic hazard warnings when located on top of conical road bollards.

The numerous papers he published are to be found in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, the Royal Society, and the Royal Astronomical Society. A friend of William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse, he helped in the erection of the great telescope at Birr.

Robinson died suddenly at the Armagh Observatory on 28th February 1882.