Founded in 1772, directed by Manuel Johnson (1805-1859), then by Rev Robert Main (1808-78).
In 1851, Norman Pogson, then only 22 and with no higher education, began working at the Observatory. Before moving on to the Government Observatory in Madras he discovered two minor planets, Isis and Hestia, and definitely knew Goldschmidt. Shown right is the Bird transit instrument in use at the Observatory in Goldschmidt's time. The Observatory building is now used as a common room by Green College, Oxford, and the instruments are housed in the Museum of History of Science.

Image copyright, Museum of History of Science, Oxford