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Saunderson, Nicholas, 1682-1739 (mathematician)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1682 - 1739

Biography

Nicholas Saunderson [Sanderson] (1682-1739), Lucasian professor of mathematics was born to an exciseman in Yorkshire. He was baptised in 1683. He lost his eyesight to smallpox when he was a year old. At an early age he was taught arithmetic by his father whom he helped with his excise work. At 24 Saunderson went to Cambridge and resided with a friend at Christ's College, though not as a member of the University. Hoping to teach he was allowed to form a class by the Lucasian professor, William Whiston, and taught mathematics, astronomy and optics. Saunderson built a reputation as an excellent teacher, so much so that when Whiston was expelled from the professorship in 1710 Saunderson was made MA by special patent from Queen Anne to enable him to become Lucasian professor. He continued to live at Christ's until 1723 when he took a house in Cambridge and married Abigail Dickons. They had two children. In 1728 he was made Doctor of Laws. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1718 and also sat on the Board of Longitude. He died of scurvy 1739. He didn't publish whilst alive, but his Algebra, which he had been working on for six years, was published by subscription in 1740.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

 Fonds

Nicholas Saunderson: Lectures

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0012/MS Add.2977
Scope and Contents

Notes on Sanderson's lectures in the hand of William Haswell. Includes: lectures on hydrostatics, sounds, optics (with others), mechanics, astronomy, tides, technical chronology, and the doctrine of heat and cold. With (fo. 128) copy of letter from James Bate to Hans Deveille, 3 Jan. 1726

Dates: 1725 (Circa)
Conditions Governing Access: Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

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