Jean-Baptiste Biot (1774-1862), one of the most polymathematical French scientists of his period, was professor of astronomy at the Faculté des Sciences in Paris, a member of the Académie Française, a commander of the Legion d'Honneur, and author of the influential textbook Traité Élémentaire d'Astronomie Physique (Paris, 1802), a book from which Sir George Airy acquired his interest in astronomy. On April 26th 1803, after the appearance of a fireball and detonations, a shower of stones weighing a total of about 37 kilograms fell near L'Aigle. Biot visited the area immediately afterwards and wrote his famous report - Relation D'Un Voyage Fait Dans Le Département De L'Orne, Pour Constater La Réalité D'Un Météore Observé À L'Aigle (Paris, 1806) - which first proved beyond doubt the fact of a fall of stones from outer space. Until the beginning of the 19th century scientists were sceptical of stones falling from the sky, and much material was probably discarded or lost. Biot's report gives details of the stones he could find, eye-witness accounts, and such details as the fact that "the freshly fallen stones taken into houses gave out such a disagreeable smell of sulphur that they had to be taken outside". Most of the stones he found at the time are now in the Natural History Museum in Paris.
The meteorite comes from the collection of Robert Ferguson (1767-1840). He visited Europe between 1795 and 1805, where he met and corresponded with many scientists. He was detained in Paris in 1804 by Napolean, and was released partly by the intervention of Sir Joseph Banks who wrote to Delambre on 30th January 1804:
"There is among the English detained in France a young gentleman, Mr Robert Ferguson, whose pursuits are very much directed to Scientific objects. He is not yet a fellow of the Royal Society, but will certainly be chosen into that body as soon as he can return home. If his liberty could be obtained, it would be considered here as favour to scientific men, and a great compliment to the Royal Society".
On his return to England early in 1805, he was elected a member of the Royal Society, and on his return to Scotland became MP for Kirkaldy and Lord Lieutenant of Fifeshire. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Scotland, the Geological Society, and the Wernerian Natural History Society, according to Jameson's dedication.
We have copies of letters he wrote to Prof. E.D.Clarke of Cambridge concerning meteorites:
"17th February 1811
My Dear Sir,
I intended writing to you very soon and knew when you would wish to have my meteorite stones, when I received a message from you through Wollaston the other day to say you wished to have them by the 26th.
I have got Sowerby's Cape Iron which I have found in the box, and forward the enclosed which he sent at the same time.
There is a specimen of the meteorite stone which fell at Aigle in Normandy which I have notified for you and which I beg you will keep. It was a deperate specimen which I found in my cabinet in Scotland and which I brought up for you ... "
In another dated 11th August 1816 he lists various meteorites he has left with Dr Sommerville for delivery to Clarke:
"No. 1 - Two specimens from Aigle in Normandy
No. 2 - not sure, but I think it fell in Bavaria near Munich
No. 3 - from the great mass which fell at Ensisheim in Alsatia
No. 4 - fell at Barbontana ... "
and also on 26th September 1815:
"... I found the number of specimens quite correct - although one of them had not a number which I now recollect was on account of it's being a repetition of what fell at Aigle in Normandy ... "
These letters seem to show that Ferguson had several L'Aigle specimens, and presumably the best he kept for himself. With his contacts in France it is probable that he either met Biot, or corresponded with him.