Johann Ludwig Emil Dreyer (1852-1926)
The above is from a bookplate
pasted on the inside front cover of a copy of
Familiar Lectures on Scientific Subjects by J.F.W. Herschel (1867)
recently aquired by the Irish amateur astronomer R. Nigel Mawhinney,
who kindly presented us with a scanned picture on 2004-05-27.
Per fess Argent and Gules,
chaperonné Azure, in chief a trefoil slipped and inverted
Vert
and in base three roundels [each charged with a quatrefoil] Argent.
The Danish motto "Uden arbeide, ingen lykke" means:
Without work, no happiness.
J.L.E. Dreyer is the astronomer who
compiled the first version of the NGC
(New General Catalog). He also wrote the standard biography of his countryman and fellow astronomer
Tycho Brahe (1546-1601).
We thank Ms. Ann E. Lyon (University of Wales Swansea)
for bringing the arms of J.L.E. Dreyer to our attention.
She posted the following words on the Scottish Heraldry Forum :
[ 2004-02-02 ]
John Louis Emil Dreyer [né Johann Ludwig Emil Dreyer]
was a Danish astronomer from a very distinguished family
(his father was Commander in Chief of the Danish Army in the War of 1864)
who went to Ireland around 1870 to work for the
Earl of Rosse.
He spawned a famous Royal Navy family;
his second son was Jellicoe's flag captain at Jutland and became a full Admiral,
a grandson was also a full Admiral,
and no fewer than seven of his descendants fought at sea in WW2.
One of his grandsons, who died last year, was a very great friend of mine,
which is why I know a bit about him.
[ 2004-02-20 ]
The Dreyer arms I have seen illustrated are those of [J.L.E. Dreyer's] second son,
Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer, inventor of the Dreyer Table,
which was a central element in the Royal Navy gunnery control system
from the early years of the 20th century
[see Arthur Marder's monumental
History of the Royal Navy in the 20th Century].
These arms have the roundels but not the [outlined] quatrefoils.
Note: At this time,
we do not know if the astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer (1852-1926)
is related either to the Danish film director Carl Theodor Dreyer (1889-1968) [it's likely]
or to the German writer Max Dreyer (1862-1946) [it's unlikely].
Please, tell us
what you know...
