Observations in Meteorology

Although devoted to his parish, Leonard Jenyns (1800-93) combined his clerical duties with keen research into the natural world around him. His numerous publications include A Manual of British Vertebrate Animals (1835) and Observations in Natural History (1846), both of which are reissued in this series. This 1858 work is based on nineteen years of meticulous observation of Cambridgeshire weather, including trends in atmospheric pressure and precipitation. Jenyns' careful recording of his surroundings supplies the raw data for the text and many informative tables. The geological position of Swaffam Bulbeck, where most of the observations were made, is briefly discussed along with other factors bearing upon the climate of Cambridgeshire more generally. Throwing light on how meteorological observation was conducted and interpreted, the work reflects a growing interest in the topic in Victorian Britain.