In 1749 he entered Catharine Hall, Cambridge but migrated to Trinity College. 7th Wrangler. B. A. 1754. M. A. 1757. B. D. 1768. D. D. 1777. F. R. S. 1758. He was selected by the Royal Society to go to St. Helena to observe the transit of Venus of 6 June 1761. Due to the clouds it was not successful. In 1763 he went to Barbados to try Harrisons fourth time piece. He succeeded Nathaniel Bliss (F. R. S. 1742) as Astronomer Royal in 1765 and held the appointment for 46 years. From June through October 1774 he determined the attraction of mountains on the plumb line at Schiehallion (Perthshire).