comet: 1737

Rose Fuller, a physician in Spanish Town, who was elected to the Royal Society in 1732, sent his qualitative observations of the comet seen in Jamaica's skies in January-February 1737 to his grandfather, Sir Hans Sloane, who passed them on to the Royal Society. Fuller also indicated that 'a Gentleman well skilled in astronomy and furnished with good instruments has taken observations on it which he intends to communicate' but there is no record that these quantitative observations ever reached the Royal Society. The 'Gentleman' referred to was probably Colin Campbell who had set up his private observatory in Black River in the early 1730s.

ROSE FULLER, M. D. (d. May 7, 1777), physician, naturalist,

and politician, resided at Spanish Town, Jamaica, from 1733

until 1756. Returning to England in 1756, he entered politics and served in parliament for various constituencies between 1756 and his death in 1777. Shortly before his departure for Jamaica, Fuller was proposed candidate for admission to the Royal Society by the following certificate, dated January 27, 1731/2 :

Rose Fuller of Sussex M. D. a Gentleman well Skill'd in all parts of the Mathematicks, Natural and Experimental

Philosophy, & most branches of Curious & Usefull Learning; being desirous of becoming a Member of this Society is proposed by us

London 27 Jan. 1731

Cadogan

Wm Sloane

John Martyns

This certificate was displayed at meetings of the Society from

February 3, 1731/2, until April 6, 1732, and Fuller was elected April 20, 1732. On the following May 4 he was formally admitted fellow of the Society. Reaching Jamaica the following

year, Fuller often sent scientific observations to Sir Hans Sloane who frequently read them before the Royal Society.

COLIN CAMPBELL, ESQ. (d. 1752), of Black River, Jamaica,

astronomer and mathematician, friend of Halley, the astronomer,

and collaborator in scientific experiments with James Bradley,

F. R. S., professor of astronomy at Oxford, was "proposed and

recommended for a Fellow by Dr. Halley, Dr. [James] Campbell,

& Mr. [Stephen] Hales, Herbalist" on November 12, 1730.

The Council approved and Campbell was elected fellow on December

10, 1730.