Joseph Alfred Hardcastle

Joseph A. Hardcastle was the son of Maria Sophia, third daughter of Sir John Herschel, and Henry Hardcastle, son of Joseph Alfred Hardcastle, MP. Educated at Harrow, he pursued further education at Trinity College, Cambridge, but due to a number of reasons – ranging from family matters to his ailing health – he never completed his studies there. He was always interested in science and dedicated himself to lecturing astronomy in 1899, a job at which he excelled. Working in England, he was also an avid observer, writing a number of publications on topics ranging from the Moon to nebulae. He was chosen by the then-Archbishop Crozier to take up the position of Director of Armagh Observatory after Dreyer’s retirement. His wife, Theresa (née Clive Bayley), preceded him there to make arrangements for the family, when his health deteriorated again, preventing him from reaching Ireland. He passed away on 10th November 1917 at his father’s house, aged 49. Teresa Hardcastle remained at the Observatory to maintain the meteorological records and prepare the house for its next occupant.