_Moore's Almanack_ (Vol. iv., p. 74.).--Your correspondent FRANCIS is in
error as to the MSS. and correspondence of Henry Andrews being in the
possession of his son, Mr. Wm. Henry Andrews. Mr. W. H. Andrews some
time ago sold to me the whole of his father's MSS. correspondence,
astronomical and astrological calculations, with a mass of very curious
letters from persons desirous of having their "nativities cast." I have
also some copies of Andrews' portrait, one of which shall be much at
your service.
Moore's _Almanack_ was known by that name long before Andrews had any
connection with it, but he was for upwards of forty years its compiler
for the Company of Stationers, whose liberal (?) treatment of Andrews
may be collected from the following postscript to a letter addressed to
me by his son:--
"My father's calculations, &c., for Moore's _Almanack_, continued
during a period of forty-three years; and although through his
great talent and management he increased the sale of that work
from 100,000 to 500,000, yet, strange to say, all he received for
his services was 25_l._ per ann.!! Yet I never heard him murmur
even once about it; such was his delight in pursuing his favourite
studies, that his anxiety about remuneration was out of the
question. Sir Richard Phillips, who at times visited him at
Royston, once met him in London, and endeavoured to persuade him
to go with him to Stationers' Hall, and he would get him 100_l._;
but he declined going, saying that he was satisfied."
Andrews was also computer to the Board of Longitude, and Maskelyne's
_Letters_ evidence the value and correctness of his calculations.
The only materials left by Andrews for a memoir of his life I believe I
possess, and some day I may find leisure to put them into order for
publication.