The Atlas of Irish Mathematics: Belfast before 1900 (Jun 2018)
To mark the start of our second year of bi-monthly "Irish county blogs" we go a little off track and shine a light on a university city that straddles two counties (Antrim and Down). Belfast has been associated with a great deal of mathematics and mathematical physics over the past two centuries, and this month we survey over 70 relevant people from the 19th century, from Claud Gilbert to Thomas Vinycomb; 25 of them are accompanied by headshots. Most of those documented here either completed their initial degrees or taught in Belfast in the period in question, while others were born there and educated elsewhere.
Many of the names below were already covered here recently in connection with the University of Cambridge, as were dozens of others. A great number of them graduated from Queen's College, Belfast, which was opened in 1849, having been chartered in 1845 like its sister schools in Galway and Cork. Those three colleges were conceived as the Queen's University of Ireland (QUI), which was dissolved in 1882 and replaced by Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and the new umbrella organisation the Royal University of Ireland (RUI), the latter including the former Galway and Cork Queen's Colleges as well as University College Dublin (UCD) and several other smaller colleges.
Anyone---including QUB students---could present themselves for examinations (and hence degrees) to the RUI, regardless of which (if any) college they attended. (On rare occasion people who had only studied at TCD or privately did so.) Indeed, until 1908, this was how all undergraduate QUB degrees were earned.
Belfast's Queen's College had been preceded by the Belfast Academical Institution (founded in 1810) which soon became the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (the "Inst"). Before the Queen's College was up and running, the Inst also offered additional training (and "third level" certificates) past the secondary level, but today it's purely a grammar school.
The matriculated students at Queen's College generally came from various Ulster schools of note, especially the Belfast Royal Academy (founded 1785), the Inst itself, Methodist College ("Methody", founded 1865), and in due course Victoria College (founded as The Ladies' Collegiate School in 1859) and Campbell College (founded 1894). At present we have not indicated below which specific school the people listed had attended earlier; sometimes such information is revealed in the links provided.
Some of those highlighted were born in Belfast, but trained outside Ulster. While a good many of these people ended up in academia, or teaching at prestigious schools, quite a few served in the civil service, or pursued careers in law or medicine, and others became clergymen. They are presented in chronological order by birth.
There are 25 Cambridge wranglers below for this period, 6 of them senior wranglers, of whom Campbell Allen (1879), Larmor (1880) and Orr (1888) were Irishmen who had already graduated with BA and MA degrees from Queen's Belfast.
Some of the wranglers we cover also received the prestigious Smith's Prize (awarded to research students in maths and theoretical physics): Thompson (1845), Tait (1852) and Larmor (1880). We do not, at this time, track other prizes, awards, medals, scholarships, fellowships, named chairs, promotions, titles, leadership roles in professional organisations, and so on.
While MA degrees from Queen's Belfast (like those from Galway and Cork) were generally earned just as BAs where, at Cambridge MAs could be obtained 3 or more years after BAs upon simple payment of a fee; those degrees didn't indicate further study or completion of any additional examinations, research or theses.
In the year 1882, as the QUI was replaced by QUB and the RUI, a great number of MAs were awarded by Queen's Belfast, many of which seemingly falling into the "unearned" category. A good number of the recipients had graduated with BA degrees decades before, and some had in fact already died. On the other hand, some of the 1882 MAs below are known to have been by examination, and this is indicated where known.
Honorary doctorates were also awarded by Queen's in Belfast (or at that institution via the RUI) in the late 1800s. Two such DSc degrees of note were awarded in 1880 in Belfast by the RUI. One was to physicist Arthur Hill Curtis (1827?-1886), who had just become Assistant Commissioner of National Education for the whole country. He was born in Dublin and educated at TCD (BA 1850, MA 1853, LLD 1862), and taught for 2 decades at Queen’s College, Galway, where he also served as registrar and authored the book A Mathematical Deduction of the Principal Properties of the Gyroscope (Alexander Thom, 1862). The other such DSc (hon) went to Charles Niven (1845-1923), who was born 14 September in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and was educated at Aberdeen (BA 1863) and Cambridge (senior wrangler 1867, MA 1870). He was professor of maths at Queen's Cork (1867-1880), and then taught physics for 4 decades at Aberdeen, publishing on electricity and heat.
From 1900 on, the story broadens and deepens considerably. It will take several future blogs to cover the ground there. (In Dec 2021, the period 1900-1939 was covered.)
More broadly, the Antrim story up to 1899 graduates is told in the December 2022 blog.
Comments and corrections are, as always, welcome. As are more photographs of the forgotten faces from the past! Last updated 14 Jan 2023.
Thanks to D.L. MacLaughlan-Dumes (UCLA), Paul Greaney (NUIG) and Anne van Weerden (Utrecht) once more for genealogical assistance.
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01. Claud Gilbert (1670-1743) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and educated at TCD (BA 1691, MA 1693, DD & LLD 1706). He was on the staff at TCD for most of his career, serving as Donegall lecturer of maths 1696-1723 and also as vice-provost. His later years were spent as a clergyman. He left many books to TCD. |
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02. Mathematician and thermodynamics pioneer James Thomson (1786-1849) was born 13 November in Annaghdown near Ballynahinch, Down. He was educated at the University of Glasgow (MA 1812) and was professor (and eventually provost) there following two decades at the Belfast Academical Institution. He authored 4 books while teaching in Belfast, and later An Elementary Treatise on Algebra Theoretical and Practical (1844). His son William (later known as Lord Kelvin, see below) grew up in Belfast and Glasgow and gained fame as a brilliant scientist, mathematician, and engineer. Wikipedia / MacTutor / Glasgow / Ulster Bio |
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2. Mathematical physicist John Stevelly (1795-1868) was born 23 June in Cork and educated at TCD (BA 1817, MA 1827). His four and a half decade long career was spent at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and at Queen’s Belfast. |
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3. Isaiah Steen (1798-1871) was born in Balleney, near Coleraine, Londonderry. He attended the Royal College in Belfast (General Certificate in Arts 1818), and was a pastor in the years 1824-1833. Taking over from James Thomson at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute, following the latter's move to Glasgow, he taught at the Inst until 1870, also serving as head of maths. He published the very popular A Treatise on Mental Arithmetic, in Theory and Practice (Simpkin & Marshall, 1844). |
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4. John Radford Young (1799-1885) was born 8 April in London and was largely self-educated. He taught at Belfast College in the period 1833-1849, and authored over 20 books, a third of them (including The Analysis and Solution of Cubic and Biquadratic Equations) while he was Belfast based. He also published numerous research papers. |
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4B. George McDowell (1816?-1865) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at TCD (BA 1835+, MA 1840). His career was spent in law.
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5. Physicist, mathematician and engineer William Thomson (later known as Lord Kelvin, 1824-1907) was born 24 June in Belfast, Antrim, where his father James Thomson (see above) taught maths at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. The family moved to Glasgow when he was nine, and he was educated there and at Cambridge (Peterhouse, 2nd wrangler 1845). His entire career was spent back at Glasgow, doing pioneering work on heat, electricity and thermodynamics. He is also remembered for his engineering insights which led to the first successful transatlantic cable. Wikipedia / MacTutor / Britannica
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6. William Wilson (1826-1874) was born circa January in Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England, and was educated at Cambridge (St John's, senior wrangler, 1847). He then became the first professor of maths at Queen's College, Belfast, establishing an observatory there, and soon published the book A Treatise on Dynamics (Hodges & Smith, 1850). After 5 years, however, he decamped to Melbourne, where for 2 decades he worked as professor of maths and astronomy, before dying relatively young. Wikipedia / Ulster Bio / Aus |
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7. William Lupton (1830-1876) grew up in Waterford, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1852, MA 1853), where he was a member of the first class to graduate from there. He then served as the registrar at Queen's College, Galway (1853-1870), ending his short career as professor of jurisprudence and political economy there. |
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8. Mathematical physicist Peter Tait (1831-1901) was born 21 April in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, and educated at Cambridge (Peterhouse, senior wrangler 1852). He replaced Wilson above as professor of maths at Queen's Belfast, but left after just 6 years, spending the rest of his career at Edinburgh. He co-wrote 22 text books. |
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9. Mathematician and physicist Joseph Everett (1831-1904) was born 11 September in Rushmere, Suffolk, England, and was educated at Glasgow (BA 1856, MA 1857). He taught at Queen's Belfast in the period 1867-1897, and authored 5 books while there, including expository works on dynamics, light and sound. His daughter was Alice Everett below. |
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10. George Slesser (1834-1862) was born 27 April in Milton of Gaval, Buchan, Aberdeenshire, and was educated at Aberdeen (MA 1853) and at Cambridge (Queen's, senior wrangler 1858, MA 1861). He in turn took over the Queen's professorship from Tait above, but only for 2 years due to his very early death (of consumption). He had been researching moving axes. He was replaced temporarily by Sharpe below. |
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11. John Purser (1835-1903) was born 24 August in Dublin and was educated at TCD (BA 1855+, MA 1859). He followed Slesser above as professor of maths at Queen's Belfast in 1863, a position he held until 1901, also serving as registrar for a spell. His students included Larmor and Orr below. |
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12. Joseph Millar (1837-1876) was born 19 or 22 February in Lisburn, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1855). His short career was spent in the military (royal engineers). |
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13. Unionist activist and businessman Thomas Sinclair (1838-1914) was born 23 September in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's there (BA 1856, MA 1859), later being awarded an honorary DLit (1882). He has been credited with introducing golf to Ulster and authoring the Ulster Covenant. Link / Queen's / Hopefield / Covenant 1 / Covenant 2 / Links |
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14. Henry Sharpe (1838-1917) was born 16 September in Warwick, England, and was educated at Cambridge (St John's, 6th wrangler 1861, MA 1864). He temporarily replaced Slesser above at Queen's Belfast, when that man fell ill. While he spent most of the rest of his life as a clergyman back in England, he published in applied mathematics on and off, and also corresponded with Stokes. |
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15. John S. Porter (1838??-1924) was born in Scotland, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1858, MA 1882), where he studied under Tate. Today, there is a maths scholarship at QUB in his name. |
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16. Mathematician and physicist John Leebody (1840-1927) was born January in Ballinderry (?), Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1862, MA 1863), later being awarded an honorary DSc there (1882). His long career was spent at Magee College in Derry, where he rose to the rank of president.
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17. Randal Nixon (1840-1901) was born about August in Worcester, England, and was educated at the University of London (BA 1863?) and at Cambridge (Peterhouse, 21st wrangler 1864, MA 1867). He first taught at the Brewers Company Grammar School, and at Glasgow, then for several decades at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (1869 to at least 1894, where he taught Larmor), before moving to London. He authored the books Euclid Revisited and Geometry in Space (Clarendon, 1880). Cambridge / Link |
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18. George McWatters (1841-1891) was born in Down and educated in maths and classics at Queen's Belfast (BA 1860, MA 1882 by exam). His career was spent in the civil service in India. |
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18A. Osborne Reynolds (1842-1912) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and grew up in Essex in England. He was educated at Cambridge (Queen's, 7th wrangler 1867) and spent his career at the first professor of engineering at Owens College (Manchester). He was a pioneer in the study of fluid dynamics, and his name lives on in many concepts. |
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19. W. McLaren Smith (1843-1873) was born 25 June in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's there (BA 1863, MA 1864). He was admitted to Cambridge (Trinity) and studied there briefly. His very short career was spent teaching in India, first at the College of Berhampore, and then at Presidency College (Calcutta). |
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20. Robert Cleeland (1844-1911) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and educated there at Queen's (BA 1864, MA 1865), where he later served as a tutor. |
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21. Robert Sankey Stevelly (1844-1916, son of John above) was born 25 August in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1863) and at Cambridge (Peterhouse, BA 1868). He taught for a while at Aldenham School (Watford) before becoming an inspector of schools in England. |
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22. James Wylie (1845-1935) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1867, MA 1868). He pursued law and later served as Privy Counsellor of Ireland. 1901 Census / 1911 Census / Wikipedia / Prabook / Privy |
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23. Hugh McLaren Smith (1846-1867) was born 17 March in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1866). He died at 21. |
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24. Ross Scott (1850?-1908) was born in Omagh, Tyrone, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1869, MA 1870). His career was spent in the civil service in India, where he served as judge. |
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25. John Young (1848?-1914) was born in Newry, Down, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA & Gold Medal 1868, MA 1882). For many years he taught at the Londonderry Academical Institution, then from 1888 until his death he ran the Portadown News in Armagh. |
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26. Thomas Foster (1848?-1898) was educated at TCD (BA, 1870, MA 1873). He taught at the Belfast Royal Academy, rising to the r ank of headmaster and playing a big role in saving the school, but died suddenly at 50. BRA / BRA history / Link |
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27. Elliot Paxton Dewar (1849-1920) was born 6 February in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Belfast. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1870, MA 1872). His career was spent as inspector of schools in Ireland. Inspector / 1901 Census / 1911 Census / Grave
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28. Engineer and mathematician John Perry (1850-1920) was born 14 February in Garvagh, south of Coleraine, Londonderry, and grew up there and in Belfast. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BE & gold medal 1870, MA 1882), and his academic career included short stints in Bristol, Glasgow (with William Thomson, aka Kelvin), and Imperial College (Tokyo) before setting down at Finsbury Technical College and later Imperial College (London). He successfully challenged Kelvin on the subject of thermal conductivity, and authored 5 books on mechanics and applied maths, including one on spinning tops. He received an honorary DSc from RUI in 1886, and an honorary LLD from Glasgow in 1901. His sister Agnes (below) also did maths, and his nieces included pioneering early engineering graduate Alice and mathematics graduate Agnes (aka Molly). |
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28A. William Dickey (1851-1922) was born 7 April in Carnowen, Donegal, and was educated at Queen's, Belfast (BA 1873, MA 1874). His career was spent as a clergyman in Scotland. |
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29. John MacFarland (1851-1935) was born 19 April in Omagh, Tyrone, older brother of Robert below. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1871, MA 1872) and Cambridge (St John's, 26th wrangler 1876, MA 1879). His career started at Repton School (Derbyshire), following which he emigrated to Melbourne University, where he focussed on administration and rose to the rank of chancellor. RUI awarded him an honorary LLD (1892). Wikipedia / Cambridge / Repton / Dic Ulster Bio / Aus Dict Bio / Geelong / |
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30. Charles Victor Coates (1853-1944) was born 25 August in Belfast, Atrim, and educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1873, MA 1874) annd Cambridge (Trinity, 5th wrangler 1877, MA 1881). He taught at Birkbeck College. |
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31. James McNeill (1853-1907) was born 6 March in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1875?, MA 1878?). He taught at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (1875-1878), Methodist College (1878-1890) and Campbell College (1890-1907). |
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32. Applied mathematician and education expert Edward Parnall Culverwell (1855-1931) was born 15 March in Belfast, Antrim. He was educated at TCD (BA 1877, MA 1882), where he later became the first professor of education. He published the books Elementary Mechanics (Longmans, Green and Co., 1890) and Montessori Principles and Practice (Bell, 1913). Nature / Bio / Paper / 1901 Census / 1911 Census |
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33. Samuel Russell (1856-1917) was born 10 February in Strabane, Tyrone, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA, 1877, MA 1878). He taught maths and astronomy Imperial College in Beijing. Among his publications was an adaptation of W. H. Murray's system of teaching Mandarin to the blind. |
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34. Andrew Campbell Allen (1856-1923) was born 9 February in Belfast, Antrim. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1875, MA 1877), where he was taught by John Purser, and at Cambridge (Peterhouse, senior wrangler 1879, MA 1882). He was tutor and fellow at Peterhouse, and also principal of Chester Training College, before becoming a vicar for the last 3 decades of his life. Campbell Allen published numerous papers on trigonometry, geometry, optics and electricity. He was also a prolific author on ecclesiastical matters. |
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35. Thomas Knowles (1856-1920) was born 13 February in Ferragh, Cullybackey, Antrim. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1877, MA 1879) and Cambridge (Peterhouse, 19th wrangler 1883, MA 1886). He taught at the Royal Grammar School (Lancaster) and at Liverpool College (serving as vice-principal there). His interests included astronomy and chemistry. |
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36. Theoretical physicist Joseph Larmor (1857-1942), older brother of Alexander below, was born 11 July in Magheragall, Antrim, and grew up there and in Belfast. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1874, MA 1875), where he was taught by John Purser, and at Cambridge (St John's, senior wrangler & Smith's Prize 1880, MA 1883). [JJ Thompson was 2nd wrangler.] He was professor at Queen's Galway for 5 years, then spent nearly half a century at Cambridge, in 1903 getting the chair vacated by Stokes upon his death. Most of his research concerned electricity, thermodynamics, and the electron theory of matter. He had at least 4 doctoral students and authored or edited 6 books, including the influential Aether and Matter (Cambridge, 1900) and 2 volumes of the papers of Stokes (Cambridge, 1904 & 1905). He received honorary doctorate from RUI (1882), TCD (1893) and Cambridge (1920). Wikipedia / MacTutor / Family / Enc Brit / Ulster Bio |
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37. John Eccles (1857-1921) was born 9 September in Larne, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1876, MA 1877) and at Cambridge (Peterhouse, 14th wrangler 1881, MA 1885). For over a quarter of a century he worked for the Survey of India. |
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38. Charles Oliver (1857-1937) was born 25 October in Rathmines, Dublin, and brought up there and in Belfast, where he graduated from Queen’s (BA 1876, MA 1878). He spent 2 decades in China, first at the Chinese Imperial Customs Office, then teaching Mandarin at the Imperial College in Beijing, where he rose to the rank of president. |
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39. James Rea (1857?-1933) was born in Down and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1885). For part of his career he taught at Dublin's Church of Ireland Training College on Kildare Place.
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39B Agnes Perry (later Ehrhardt, 1858-1940) was born 1 June in Garvagh, south of Coleraine, Londonderry, and grew up there and in Belfast, a sister of engineer and mathematician John above. She was educated at Newnham (BA earned 1883). She taught WHERE? In 1891, she married Albert Ehrhardt. Her nieces included pioneering early engineering graduate Alice and mathematics graduate Agnes (aka Molly).
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40. William Johnston (1858-1924) was born in Dublin and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1875, MA 1878) and at TCD (BA 1883). He taught at Aberystwyth College for almost 4 decades, and wrote An Elementary Treatise on Analytical Geometry (Clarendon, 1893). |
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41. Physicist Alexander Larmor (1858?-1936), younger brother of Joseph above, was born (when?) in Magheragall, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1879, MA 1881) and Cambridge (Clare, 11th wrangler 1884, part III 1885, MA 1888). He got fellowships both at Clare and at Owen's College, Manchester. Most of his career was spent teaching at the Londonderry Academy, where he served as head, and Magee College. He authored some books on Euclid's geometry. Cambridge / Nature / 1901 Census / 1911 Census
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42. Thomas Collier (1858-1934) was probably born 28 July in Cork and grew up there, in Donegal, Cavan and Antrim. He was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1878, MA 1882). He taught at Methodist College nearby for 4 years, and later at a school in Chiswick, in London. He was then appointed headmaster at Belfast Royal Academy Institute (1898-1923), and finally retired to NSW, Australia. 1901 Census / 1911 Census / Grave
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43. William McClintock (1859-1931) was born in Antrim and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1878, MA 1879). He spent part of his career as inspector of schools in Ireland.
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44. Robert MacFarland (1860-1922) was born 18 October in Omagh, Tyrone, younger brother of John above. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1880) and Cambridge (Gonville and Caius, 9th wrangler 1883, MA 1890). His career was spent teaching at Repton School (Derbyshire) and at Campbell College, serving as headmaster at the latter. |
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45. James Tate (1860-1892) was born 20 February in Leitrim. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1881, MA 1882) and at Cambridge (St John's, 16th wrangler 1886, MA 1890). He taught at King's School (Rochester) and at Derby School, then died suddenly during the interview process for a headmaster position. |
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46. Robert Semple (1860-1937) was born 22 May in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1880, MA 1881), the University of London (BA, 1881), and at St John’s Cambridge (21st wrangler 1884, MA 1887). His career was spent as a clergyman, mostly in Downpatrick and Limerick. |
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47. David Stewart (1861-1934?) was born 11 August in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1881, MA 1882) and Cambridge (Gonville & Caius, 6th wrangler 1885, part II 1886, MA 1889). He was vice-principal at Chester Training College (1886-1893), and lectured at Foyle College in Derry (1897-1900). He served as a clergyman (1893-1934), later in Wales and in England. QUB / Cambridge / 1901 Census |
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48. John Campbell (1862-1924) was born 27 May in Lisburn, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (1883 or 1884), Oxford (Hertford, MA 1886) and RUI (MA 1887). His career was spent at Oxford, where he was an early supporter of women's education. He worked in Lie algebras and differential geometry, and wrote two influential books. |
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49. Charles McVicker (1862-1933) was born 20 July in Londonderry, and was educated at TCD (BA 1886, MA 1893) and Cambridge (Christ's, 17th wrangler 1892). He taught at St Mary's College (Hammersmith) for part of his career. |
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50. James Gregg (1862?-??) was born somewhere and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1881, MA 1882) and at TCD (BA 1891). Nothing is currently known about his career.
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51. Benjamin Steede (1863-1920) was born in June in Nenagh, Tipperary, and grew up there and in Galway and Belfast, Antrim. He was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1886?) and TCD (BA 1887, MA 1890). While he then did medicine and practiced as a doctor in Newscastle and Rostrevor, he still found time to publish maths. Paper / Edu Times / 1901 Census / 1911 Census |
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52. Thomas McAnlis (1864-1890) was born 6(?) January in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1884). His very short career was spent as a missionary in India. |
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52B. William Hughes (1864-1916) was born 9 March in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at TCD (BA 1895?). His career was spent as a teacher in Belfast. |
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53. John Alexander (1865-??) was born 12 Nov in Imlick, Carrigans, Donegal, near Londonderry. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1886, MA 1889) and at Cambridge (St John's, 8th wrangler 1890, MA 1895). His whole career was spent as headmaster of Tavistock Grammar School in Devon. He was a prolific writer on local history. |
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54. Astronomer Alice Everett (1865-1949) was born 15 May in Glasgow, and brought up in Belfast, where her father was professor of natural philosophy at Queen's College. She was educated there and at Girton. Sitting the Royal University of Ireland examinations earned her a BA (1887) and her Tripos performance (1889) earned her an RUI MA the same year. She worked at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and in the USA (Pottsdam and Vassar), and much later did research in optics and the engineering of early television. |
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55. John Wylie (1865-1935) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's (BA 1890). He lectured physics at Queen's for many decades and then at Stranmillis. |
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55B. James Adams Stewart (1865-1906) was born 1 December in Darvagh, south of Coleraine, Londonderry, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1888). His short career was spent as the principal of the Academic Institute in Boyle, Roscommon. He also set up The Electric Light and Power Works there, which in his later years manufactured ice as well. His wife Catherine continued to run the business after his death. |
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56. William McFadden Orr (1866-1934) was born 2 May in Ballystockhart, Comber, Down, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1885, MA 1887), where he was taught by John Purser, and Cambridge (St John's, senior wrangler 1888, part II 1889, MA 1892). His career was mostly spent at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, moving to UCD when RCSI was merged with it in 1926. His interests were broad, and he published on hypergeometric series, dynamics and fluid dynamics. QUB awarded him an honorary DSc (1919). Wikipedia / Cambridge / Nature / Royal Soc / Dic Nat Bio / Equation |
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57. James Workman (1866-1955) was born 16 November in Mullan, Aghadowey, Londonderry, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1888, MA 1899). He taught at Methodist College at first, and then from 1910 on in Simcoe, Ontario. |
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57A. William Allison (1866-1923) was born in Londonderry and was educated at Queen's, Belfast (BA 1888). He taught at Campbell School (founded 1894) from 1896 until his death. |
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58. James McBride (1868-1949) was born 4 December in Coreen, Broughshane, near Ballymena, Antrim, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1889?) and the University of London (BSc in physics 1898). His career was spent teaching in Glasgow, and upon retirement he moved to Dublin for a while. He published on and off, and was a founding member of the Euclidean Society. |
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59. Physicist William Morton (1868-1949) was born 17 February in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1889, MA 1892), and at Cambridge (St John's, 8th wrangler 1892, MA 1898). He lectured back at QUB for 4 decades, also serving as dean. He did research in electricity, acoustics, and hydro-dynamics there, supervised at least 5 master's theses by women, and received a DSc (year?). Wikisource / QUB / Cambridge / BBC / Papers / Nature / Obit / 1901 Census |
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60. Richard Heron (1868-1931) was born 17 September in Dunadry, Antrim. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1890, MA 1893) and at Cambridge (St John's, 20th wrangler 1893, MA 1901). He taught briefly at Campbell College and later became an inspector of schools. QUB / Cambridge / Campbell / 1911 Census |
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61. Jane McCutcheon (1868-1956) was born 8 September in Limerick city. She grew up there, in Galway, Down, and Belfast, Antrim. She was educated at Methody and at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1891) and later taught at Methody for 30 years. 1901 Census / 1911 Census / Probate / Death |
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62. Harold Major (1869-1933) was born 24 February in Lisburn, Antrim, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1888) and Cambridge (Queen’s, BA 1891, MA 1898). He taught in England, at Mansfield Grammar School (1892-1902) and Weymouth College (1902-1933). |
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63. William Houston (1871-1953) was born 18 January in Ballyclabber, Coleraine, Londonderry. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1892, MA 1896) and at Cambridge (St John's, 5th wrangler 1896, part II 1897). His career was spent at Cambridge, followed by 4 years at UCG, then he became assistant commissioner of education for Ireland. His brother Robert did maths at Queen's in 1901. |
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63A. Robert Binghan (1871-1954) was born 29 April in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1892). His career was spent teaching at the Royal School Dungannon (1893-1932), where he later served at principal. |
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64. John Leathem (1871-1923) was born 5 May in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1891) and Cambridge (bracketed 4th wrangler, 1894, part II 1895). The University of London awarded him a DSc (1899). His relatively short career was spent at Cambridge. He wrote 4 books, including Volume and Surface Integrals Used in Physics (Cambridge, 1905), in which he introduced the now standard arrow notation for limits. His colleague G. H. Hardy enthusiastically embraced and promoted this innovation. His brother George also did maths (QUB 1903, St John's Cambridge 1904). |
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65. William Clements (1872-1949) was born 7 September in Maryborough, Queen's County (Laoise). He was educated at Queen's Belfast, then at Cambridge (St John's, BA 1897, MA 1908). He taught briefly at Methodist College, Belfast, before turning to a career as a clergyman in England. |
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66. George Locke (1872-1958?) was born 13 February in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1894) and Cambridge (St John's, BA 1897, MA 1901). His career was spent teaching in England, at the Royal Agriculture College (Cirencester), Wallasey Grammar School, and Stand Grammar School (Whitefield, where he was also headmaster). |
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66B. Frank Harvey (1872-1954) was born 7 June in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1895, MA 1899). He lectured in Belfast and then at Battersea Polytech (-1911-1920- ) and authored the 1920 book Everyman's Mathematics., |
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67. Alfred Robb (1873-1936) was born 17 or 18 January in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated first at Queen's Belfast (BA 1894) and at Cambridge (St John's, BA 1897, MA 1901). He was an expert on the Zeeman magnetic effect, and obtained his doctorate in 1904 under Woldemar Voigt at Göttingen on "Beiträge zur Theorie des Zeemaneffektes". His career was spent at Cambridge, where he authored four books on time, space and relativity. |
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68. Maths physicist James Rice (1874-1936) was born in Belfast, Antrim, and educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1896, DSc by exam 1900). He taught 1902-1914 at the Liverpool Institute and then until 1936 at the University of Liverpool. He was an expert on general relativity who hosted Einstein on his 1921 visit to Liverpool. |
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68B. Thomas Edwin Harvey (1875-1963) was born 29 October in Belfast, Antrim, and was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1897, LLB 1905, LLD 1908). His career was spent in the civil service, both in Dublin and London. |
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69. Archibald Tombe (1875-1959) was born 27 November in Dugary, Drumdermot, Ballymena, Antrim. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1898) and RUI (private MA 1902). His career started at Methodist College (1900-1901) and Lurgan College (1901-1902), followed by 4 decades at Plymouth Tech Schools (Plymouth and Devonport Technical College from 1926 on). |
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70. Alfred Gillespie (1877-1961) was born 6 July in Newry, Down, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1899). His career was spent as a clergyman. |
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71. Samuel Smith (1877-1953) was born 18 March in Londonderry, and was educated at Queen’s Belfast (BA 1899). His career was spent in the civil service in India and Burma. |
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72. Thomas Vinycomb (1878-1843) was born 2 November in Holywood, Down. He was educated at Queen's Belfast (BA 1899, MA in physics 1901). After 3 years at the Cavendish Lab he became head of physics at Woolwich Polytech. He authored 2 books on electricity. 1901 Census / Cavendish / WWI / Obit |
