The Demise

Completed in 1852, the telescope only remained on the site at Wandsworth until about 1857, although the tube and equipment were probably removed sometime around the beginning of 1856.

Craig's telescope around 1870 modified from original courtesy Corporation of London ©

Soon after its erection it was hailed as something very special, with claims such that "a quarter-inch letter can be read at the distance of half a mile": but press and journal reports began to site problems with the optical quality of the object-lens. Indeed, on investigation, it was found that, "The Craig telescope is, in a small portion of one of its lens, too flat by about the five thousandth part of an inch".

John Craig was the vicar of leamington. He was a very active man with clear ideas as to how he should conduct his life. He was well respected in the local community and did much to improve the Christian faith for the whole district. According to "A Memoir" written by T. B. Dudley, he completely rebuilt his church of All Saints after much research and fund raising - even submitted that he would pay the difference in costs!! He was greatly encouraged throughout his endeavours by Lady Somers who would become his second wife and in whom he found total love.

To make sure the building was worthy of "His Lord", Craig made excursions into Europe to study its many churches and cathedrals, from which he would be inspired, adding some of their features to his All Saints church.

All Saints Church in Leamington today

As with nearly all his work, Craig acted swiftly and in 1849 on All Saints Day the chancel was finished. This was quickly followed by the completion of the transept in 1852, the church soon after, was finished. The whole episode was not without angry disagreements. Indeed, at one meeting in the vestry of the church Mr Craig was accused of misappropriation of funds. He denied this to his dying day! Friends of the time have indicated that Mr Craig's accounting practice was not the best. He vowed never to get involved again with parish matters.

back to top of page

The timing of the church's building coincided with that of the telescope. Mr Craig took things very personally and was also not blessed with the best of health and suffered badly at times of criticism. In his memoirs it mentions, "At the time of this attack the Vicar was in a delicate state of health; he was bearing the burden alone of a Thursday evening service; he was superintendenting arrangements for providing for the sick poor; he was labouring incessantly for the National Schools; he was liberally lighting the church at his own expense; and - characteristic of John Craig - he was in the habit of preaching to poor congregations in preference to those who were blessed with an abundance of this world's goods". It is interesting, but nowhere in the whole memoirs is there a mention of his telescope project!

No doubt criticism of the his telescope's performance and its poorly figured optics took their toll on John Craig. In 1856 his beloved wife died (in the same year as his son!) and this led him to a great decline. He returned to Leamington remaining as vicar until 1869, but his enthusiasm for his telescope project waned completely. He died on 30th June 1877.

Wandsworth map showing clearly when the common was returned

According to a publication called The Wandsworth News-Letter there was a report which alluded to a few vague facts about the remains of the telescope's tower in 1870, "When the question of preserving Wandsworth Common as an open space for the people of London was under consideration a large and influential meeting was held at the Mansion House in July, 1870. On that occasion a short history of the Common was given, and one of the speakers stated that:- 'In 1852 about two acres of Wandsworth Common were enclosed for the purpose of erecting a telescope through which (he sarcastically added) "you can see nothing." The man became a bankrupt, the bricks and telescope were sold, but the enclosure remains to this day". From this we can conclude that the tower alone, remained more or less unchanged until around 1870.

On a visit to Wandsworth Library a map with the title "IN PARLIMENT SESSION 1871. WANDSWORTH COMMON." was uncovered, a part of which is shown on the left. On it many notes had been overwritten to indicate the present state of the common for the "Conservators" at the time. The map was drawn by Arthur Butler - Surveyor & Land Agent for the Parliamentary Agents Dyson & Co of Westminster. One of the notes refers to the enclosure set aside for the telescope and in what year that piece of land was returned back to the common.

Thomas Slater, the man that figured the Craig Telescopes lens, constructed his own telescope of 38cm (15-inches) aperture, to observe Donati's comet. A sketch of the comet was published by The Illustrated London News who said, "Slater's telescope is the largest refractor at present in use in this kingdom". This may show that Craig must have given up on his unwieldy beast on Wandsworth Common, by 1858.

back to top of page

Further details of the whereabouts of the dismantled parts of the telescope comes from a letter from Mr E. P. Olney to The Wandsworth Borough News of 11 March 1955, "...and the dismantled telescope was to be seen as lumber in a builder's yard in Wimbledon Park-road in the early eighteen-eighties.". An earlier article by Mr Edward Crook called 'A Walk From Wandsworth High Street To The Highest Point In Surrey' printed in The Wandsworth Borough News of 10th December 1935 reports, "My mother had the privilege of seeing Saturn through it, and my brother modelled it. I fear the promoter was ruined; it fell into disrepair, and the last I saw of it was the telescope in sections among a lot of building lumber in a builder's store-yard in the Wimbledon Park-road in the early 'eighties. The tower disappeared, and the ground again became part of the Common".

When the telescope was proclaimed a failure, Mr Craig decided never to return to Wandsworth but to remain in Leamington to finish his ministry at the All Saints church. Perhaps he took with him many of the artefacts of the telescope such as the observation journals and any photographs. To this day the whereabouts of the telescope's equipment and especially the lens are unknown. Perhaps this will become clear upon further investigation.

back to top of page