Philosophical Transactions (Abridgement Series)/Volume 7/page 13 bio

[http://www.archive.org/stream/philosophicaltra07royarich#page/13/mode/2up Phil Trans. (Abridgement Series, 1809) vol.7 (for 1724-1734), p.13]:

(Biographical footnote, p.13 in vol.7, accompanying the abridgement of a paper by James Bradley.)

Dr. James Bradley, an eminent astronomer, was born at Sherborne, in Gloucestershire, in 1692, and educated at Baliol college, Oxford, where he took his degrees in arts, and then entered into orders. In 1719 he obtained the living of Bridstow, and afterwards that of Landewy Welfry. Becoming also curate to his uncle Mr. James Pound, at Wansted in Essex, with that gentleman he principally gained his knowledge in mathematics and astronomy. In 1721, on the death of Dr. John Keil, Mr. B. succeeded him as Savilian professor of astronomy at Oxford; on which occasion he resigned his church livings, agreeable to the rules of the founder. In the course of Mr. B.'s numerous observations, he discovered and settled the laws of the alterations in the fixed stars, from the progressive motion of light, combined with the earth's annual motion about the sun; as also the nutation of the earth's axis, arising from the unequal attraction of the sun and moon on the different parts of the earth: the former of these effects is called the aberration of the fixed stars, the theory of which he published in 1728; and the latter the nutation of the earth's axis, the theory of which appeared in 1747, deduced from 20 years assiduous observations; by which he communicated to the world two of the finest discoveries in modern astronomy.

In 1730 Mr. B. succeeded Mr. Whiteside as lecturer in experimental philosophy, in the Museum at Oxford. And, on the death of Dr. Halley, he succeeded him as astronomer royal at Greenwich, in 1742; and at the same time the University of Oxford presented him with his degree of D.D. In 1748 the King ordering L 1,000 to defray the expence of better furnishing the observatory with instruments. Dr. B. employed those excellent artists, Mr. Graham and Mr. Bird, who provided an ample supply of them, to his satisfaction, of which he afterwards made tiie most advantageous use during the rest of his life: of his observations an immense number was found after his death, in 13 folio volumes; which were presented to the University of Oxford in 1776, on condition of their being printed and published, which however it seems has not yet been accomplished.

During Dr. Bradley's residence at the royal observatory, the vacant living of Greenwich church was offered to him; which however, he thought fit to decline, alleging "that the duty of a pastor was incompatible with his other studies and necessary engagements;" on which the King was pleased to grant him a pension of L 250 over and above the astronomer's original salary from the Board of Ordnance; a pension which has been regularly continued to the astronomers royal ever since. Dr. B. died at Chalfont in Gloucestershire, of a suppression of urine, in 1762, at 70 years of age. His communications in the Philos. Trans, extend from the 33d to the 62d volume.