He was one of England's greatest astronomers – so why has no one heard of him?

Children's author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce chooses Jeremiah Horrocks (1618–41) as his history hero

A Venn‑diagram style image with two overlapping circles on an orange background. The left circle shows a painting of a man in a dark hat and white collar looking through an early optical device. The right circle shows a colour photograph of an older man in a suit, smiling slightly. The overlapping section is tinted magenta

Published: March 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM

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When did you first hear about Jeremiah Horrocks?

As a child, I saw him and his telescope on the stained-glass windows at St Michael’s Church
in Much Hoole, Lancashire. The windows, depicting his groundbreaking observation of the transit of Venus in 1639, were such an unexpected sight that I never forgot them.

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What kind of man was he?

Born into an ordinary Lancastrian family, he lived in a small, tight-knit Puritan community. He was later a sizar at Cambridge University, where he had to chop wood and wait on the other students. He was fascinated by astronomy and the question of time from an early age – partly because his father was a watchmaker – and it became his life’s passion.

What made him a hero?

Unlike most great astronomers in history – such as Kepler, who worked for the Holy Roman Emperor – Horrocks was of modest means. He bought a telescope for two shillings and sixpence, and just had a strong sense in his bones of the rhythm of the moon and the tides – perhaps because he’d lived alongside the Mersey, with its huge tidal range. He paid great attention to the natural world around him, partly due to a profound religious conviction: he thought there was purpose in looking at the stars. When Newton spoke about standing on the shoulders of giants, one of the people he was talking about was Horrocks.

What was Horrocks’ finest hour?

He didn’t have a finest hour – but he did have one of the finest 15 minutes in history. On the day of the transit of Venus, there was thick cloud. It was also a Sunday so, being a Puritan, he was busy. But he set up his telescope all the same. A little after three o’clock, the sky cleared for a short while and he watched Venus move across the face of the sun. He wrote an important treatise on the transit, Venus in sole visa. The airport in Liverpool, which is just around the corner from where he lived, is named after John Lennon – but it should be named after Jeremiah Horrocks. As a nation, we sadly undervalue scientists.

Is there anything that you don’t particularly admire about Horrocks?

No. I think he’s wonderful – and the fact that he achieved so much despite dying so young only increases my admiration.

Can you see any parallels between his life and your own?

Only in the sense that we both had great passions in our lives – his was for astronomy and mine is for words.

What would you ask him if you could meet him?

I’d ask what inspired him to keep checking in on that telescope – even though he was busy, the Lancastrian sky was often cloudy, and there must have been people telling him: “You’ve got no chance, mate!”

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This article was first published in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine

Authors

York MemberyJournalist

York Membery is a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, the Daily Mail and Sunday Times among other publications. York, who lives in London, worked on the Mirror, Express and Times before turning freelance. He studied history at Cardiff University and the Institute of Historical Research, and has a History PhD from Maastricht University.

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