1. James South was a joint founder of the Astronomical Society of London, and it was under his name, as President of the Society in 1831, that a petition was successfully submitted to obtain a Royal Charter, whereupon it became the Royal Astronomical Society.
James South originally trained as a chemist, then as a surgeon, but his interests in astronomy overtook all things.
James South won the Copley Medal in 1826 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in that same year.
James South was knighted by King William IV in 1831.
James South bought a 12-inch aperture lens from Robert-Aglae Cauchoix in Paris for about 1000 pounds, large enough to be the biggest achromatic object lens in the world at the time.
The problem for James South's telescope was the equatorial mount.
James South promptly demolished the telescope mount; the 12-inch lens, which had been purchased separately, was preserved and presented to the Dunsink Observatory in 1862.
James South was the second owner of the Groombridge Transit Circle of 1806.
James South died at the observatory on Campden Hill in Kensington on 19 October 1867, and was buried on the west side of Highgate Cemetery.
James South was an heiress and his new-found wealth enabled him to give up surgery and concentrate on astronomy.
James South then continued and observed another 458 double stars over the following year.