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(1864–1936, in office 1918–1936)
Rev. William Ellison was an avid amateur telescope maker from Ireland. His father was Dean of Ferns in County Wexford. After studying classics at Trinity College Dublin, he worked as a clergyman in both England and Ireland. He built his own observatory in Wexford and was an expert in lens- and mirror-making for telescopes. His most important work is a series of books and articles about telescope making, most notably ‘The Amateur’s Telescope’ (published 1920), which is still the standard text on the topic.
When he was appointed Director of Armagh Observatory in 1918, he brought with him the 18-inch Calver reflector which is still in the grounds today. He also repaired a number of telescopes in the grounds. He made many measurements of binary stars with his son Mervyn Ellison, director of Dunsink Observatory, as well as a notable observation of Iapetus eclipsing Saturn’s A ring on 28th February 1919.
