Arthur Butler Phillips Mee


Arthur Butler Phillips Mee was a Scottish-born newspaper journalist, editor and notable amateur astronomer.

Journalist

Mee was born the son of a Baptist pastor, George S. Mee, and his wife Elizabeth. After leaving the ministry, Arthur's father became a journalist and he moved the family to western Wales. The son joined his father's profession, becoming a journalist in the town of Llanelli. He was married to Claudia Thomas in 1888.
In 1892 the couple moved to Cardiff, where he began working at the Western Mail, a regional newspaper, continuing there until his death, writing a regular column and performing editorial work as an assistant.
He was the editor of the first edition of Who's Who in Wales, published in 1921.

Astronomer

Mee was noted for his efforts in support of amateur astronomy. In 1890 he was a founding member of the British Astronomical Association and for a time was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His observations focused on the Moon and Mars, including making detailed charts and drawings of the features. Two of his drawings appeared in La Planète Mars by
Camille Flammarion.
He was a regular contributor to various scientific and technical publications. In 1892 he became the first to observe the shadow of the moon Titan during a transit of the planet Saturn.
In 1893 Mee published the book Observational Astronomy. Two years later he helped to initiate the foundation of the Astronomical Society of Wales, thereafter becoming its first president and editing its journal. He later acted as editor of the Society's magazine the Cambrian Natural Observer. He continued to contribute to the Society until World War I, when it was disbanded.
The crater Mee on the Moon is named in his honour.

Historian

Mee became noted for his writing about history, particularly about Carmarthenshire. His works included Caermarthenshire Notes, and Miscellany for South-West Wales and a history of the Anglican parish church in Llanelli.