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On the western edge of our churchyard stands an unusual tombstone in the shape of a miniature pyramid, topped with a cross. It commemorates Charles Piazzi Smyth, sometimes known as the pyramid man, and his wife Jessie Piazzi Smyth who accompanied him on many of his expeditions. He has been described as, "Brilliant and Eccentric" but this use of the word 'Eccentric' has been challenged on the basis that is detracts from his remarkable discoveries and inventions. It has been suggested that 'Innovative' would be more accurate and kinder. I am happy to include this as accuracy is essential to the integrity of a document like this.
Charles Piazzi Smyth was born in Naples, Italy on 3rd January 1819 to Admiral and Annarelia Smyth. They named their son Piazzi after his Godfather who was an Italian astronomer. Admiral Smyth was himself an amateur astronomer. So perhaps it's not surprising that Charles Piazza Smyth would eventually study astronomy. It is interesting to note that Admiral Smyth was the maternal Grandfather of Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting Movement; making Charles uncle of Baden-Powell. Admiral Smyth eventually set up home in Bedford where he established an observatory enabling his son Charles to develop a knowledge and love of the science of astronomy. In his mid teens Charles gained a position as assistant to Sir Thomas Maclear in the Cape of Good Hope giving him the chance to observe various astronomical spectacles. He worked in Cape Town from 1835 to 1845 and during this period established a reputation for astronomical drawing and the use of photography. It was in 1845 that Charles Piazzi Smyth was appointed Astronomer Royal for Scotland, a post he held for 43 years, and also Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. In 1856 he set out on a scientific voyage cum honeymoon. This took him to the mountain peaks of Teneriffe. It was at this time that he confirmed what Newton had earlier surmised, that benefits accrued from carrying out observations from mountain locations where problems caused by the earth’s atmosphere and cloud could be minimized. The records of this outstanding scientist seem to be somewhat muddied by the prejudice, even bigotry, of others of his times. But there is no doubt he was a man of great achievement. It is with the Great Pyramid of Gizeh that his name will always be remembered. He was a pioneer of indoor photography and the photographs he took inside the Great Pyramid are some of the earliest known. Amongst his various publications were, 'Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid' (1864) and 'Life and Work at the Great Pyramid' (1867). He resigned his Fellowship of the Royal Society when they refused to publish his papers on pyramid research; but there are still hundreds of entries under his name in the Royal Society’s Catalogue of Scientific Papers. He carried out important scientific research in cooperation with Professor A S Herschel and in 1880 he received the Macdougal-Brisbane Prize after constructing a map of the solar-spectrum. Charles advanced the science of Spectroscopy; started the first time signal from Calton Hill; organised over fifty meteorological stations in Scotland; and made numerous astronomical experiments.
These are the inscriptions appearing upon the pyramid:
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