Person: Bland, Miles
Miles Bland was a 19th century mathematician, a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, then later vicar of Lilley in Hertfordshire. He wrote a number of mathematical textbooks which proved very popular, one running to nine editions over nearly forty years. He also wrote some religious texts.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Their surname is derived from Bland, or Bland's-Gill, a hamlet in the chapelry of Howgill, and Parish of Sedbergh.
- Miles was educated at Sedbergh School.
- The headmaster of Sedbergh School, who arrived in 1799 in the middle of Bland's time at the school, was William Stevens.
- Bland was in the same class at Sedbergh School as Adam Sedgwick (1785-1873) and both went up to Cambridge in 1804.
- Bland was admitted to St John's College as a sizar on 11 June 1804, and matriculated in October of that year at the start of the Michaelmas term.
- Bland was wont to say that Dawson had had eleven Senior Wranglers for pupils, and intended him to be the twelfth; but he was second to Bickersteth, afterwards Lord Langdale; Blomfield, afterwards Bishop of London, being third.
- Bland was Second Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos examinations of 1808 and was the Second Smith's Prizeman.
- Bland was elected a Fellow at St John's College on 5 April 1808 and, in addition to teaching mathematics, worked towards being ordained, a necessary career path for fellows until the mid 19th century.
- In 1814, 1815 and in 1816 Miles Bland was a Moderator of the Mathematical Tripos.
- Bland continued as a Tutor, first as Assistant Tutor, and afterwards as joint Tutor with Thomas Waldron Hornbuckle (1775-1848), till 1823, when he took the College living of Lilley, in Hertfordshire.
- Miles and Ann Bland had two sons, Miles Bland baptised 17 September 1828 in Lilley, Hertfordfordshire (died 1881) and George Templeman Bland baptised 30 April 1830 in Ramsgate, Kent (died 1856).
- His wife, Ann Bland, died and was buried on 2 September 1831.
- After he left his position as a fellow and tutor at St John's College, Bland continued to publish new mathematical texts and also bring out new editions of all these works.
- Clearly Bland must have intended to write two further volumes on St Luke's Gospel and St John's Gospel.
- We should note Bland was one of the first fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.
- Bland was one of thirteen proposed for membership at the meeting of 14 April 1820, all being elected at the meeting of 9 June 1820.
- Miles was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on 12 April 1821.
Born 11 October 1786, Sedbergh, Yorkshire, England. Died 27 December 1867, Ramsgate, Kent, 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
