Person: Hayes, Charles
Charles Hayes was an English mathematician and chronologist, who wrote an early book on the method of fluxions.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- The Royal African Company played a large role in Hayes' life and we shall return to discuss his involvement in a moment.
- One of the big problems of Hayes' time was the problem of finding a method to calculate longitude, particularly on board a ship.
- Hayes' contribution was the publication "New and easy Method to find out the Longitude" which appeared in 1710.
- He was not seeking the large prize offered by the government, for this prize was only announced four years after Hayes' publication.
- Clearly Hayes is trying to present both sides of the argument, but he believes the moon must have its own light because of God's revealed truth.
- We noted above that Hayes dedicated his calculus text to the Director of the Royal African Company.
- Hayes had an excellent reputation as a geographer and had made a voyage to Africa, spending some time there before returning to England.
- Hayes was seventy-four years old when the Company was dissolved and he retired to a new home he had purchased in Downe, Kent.
- Hayes found himself exonerated from that burden, which, though he had long supported it, yet was not altogether suitable to his inclinations.
- Looking at Hayes with 21st century eyes, we might find it strange to understand how a deeply devout Christian could spend his life running a company dealing in slaves.
- However, it is worth noting that during Hayes' time the practice was not seen as immoral, indeed the Royal African Company played a significant role in creating wealth for England which Hayes would have seen as highly laudable.
Born 1678, England. Died 18 December 1760, London, England.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin England
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
