Editing Nevil Maskelyne (section)

==Biography==
Maskelyne was born in London, the third son of Edmund Maskelyne of [[Purton]] in [[Wiltshire]], and his wife, Elizabeth Booth. Maskelyne's father died when he was 12, leaving the family in reduced circumstances. Maskelyne attended [[Westminster School]] and was still a pupil there when his mother died in 1748. His interest in astronomy had begun while at Westminster School, shortly after the [[eclipse]] of 14 July 1748.<ref name="Howse">{{cite book | author=Howse, Derek | title = Nevil Maskelyne: The Seaman's Astronomer | year = 1989 | publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] | isbn = 052136261X}}</ref>

Maskelyne entered [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge]] in 1749, graduating as seventh [[Wrangler (University of Cambridge)|wrangler]] in 1754.<ref>{{acad|MSKN749N|name=Nevil Maskelyne}}</ref> [[Ordained]] as a [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]] in 1755, he became a [[fellow]] of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] in 1756 and a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]] in 1758.<ref>{{cite web|title=Election Certificate|url=https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqSearch=RefNo==%27EC%2F1758%2F04%27&dsqCmd=Show.tcl|website=Royal Society Library|access-date=16 April 2015|ref=EC/1758/04}}</ref> Maskelyne became a member of the [[American Philosophical Society]], elected in 1771.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Nevil+&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|title = APS Member History}}</ref>

Originally pursuing his career as a [[Church of England]] minister, he was Rector of [[Shrawardine]] in [[Shropshire]] from 1775 to 1782 and then Rector of [[North Runcton]] in [[Norfolk]] from 1782. In 1784 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were [[John Playfair]], [[John Robison (physicist)|John Robison]] and [[Dugald Stewart]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=[[The Royal Society of Edinburgh]]|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=30 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>  
On 21 August 1784 Maskelyne married Sophia Rose, then of [[St Andrew Holborn (parish)|St Andrew Holborn, Middlesex.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1623/31281_a100986-00037?pid=215083&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D1623%26h%3D215083%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D1981&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true|title=London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 for Nevil Maskelyne|date=21 August 1784|website=Ancestry.com|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref> Their only child, Margaret (25 June 1785<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=1624&h=152721897&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=1623|title=London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 for Nevil Maskelyne|date=26 July 1785|website=Ancestry.com|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>–1858), was the mother of [[Nevil Story Maskelyne|Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story-Maskelyne]] (1823–1911) professor of mineralogy at Oxford (1856–95).  Maskelyne's younger sister, [[Margaret Clive|Margaret]], married [[Robert Clive]].

Maskelyne is buried in the churchyard of [[St Mary's Church, Purton|St Mary the Virgin]], the parish church of the village of [[Purton]], Wiltshire, England.<ref>Maskelyne's grave can be seen by going through the church gates and veering to the right, against the right outside wall of the church.</ref>