| Christopher Clive Langton Gregory was born around 1890
in Dorset. His father, married to Octavia, was a clergyman and
Christopher spent the early years of his life at the family home of "Melville", a large Victorian house in Parkstone, near Poole
in Dorset. He spent his childhood collecting fossils, creating telescopes, and holding conversation with Alfred Russel Wallace,
the co-discoverer with Charles Darwin of Natural Selection.
Gregory's education at Cambridge University (reading physics) was put
on hold due to the First World War, during which he served in France,
and in
particular The Battle of the Somme. Towards the end of 1918, Gregory was
sent to Salisbury Plain to carry out scientific work in sound ranging, a method of detecting enemy guns /
armament for the Government. Gregory's astronomic career commenced when he was appointed the First
Assistant of the National Observatory of Egypt, a post he held for two
years. His responsibilities included observing the moon, and to alert
the King upon the sighting of a New Moon, thus heralding the start of
Ramadan.
Gregory married Helen Patricia Gibson and on 24th July 1923 their son
Richard was born. In 1928, a new Observatory was begun in the grounds of Mill Hill
park, London, the lease being arranged with Hendon Urban District
Council for a period of 999 years. The Observatory was formally opened
the following year, and was further expanded during 1937 -38. Gregory
was appointed the first Director of Astronomy, University of London
Observatory
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