Person: Hutton (2), Charles
Charles Hutton was an English mathematician who wrote arithmetic textbooks.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Charles, the youngest of his parents sons, was born in Percy Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
- Charles suffered an unfortunate injury when he was seven years old.
- Had young Charles told his parents immediately it is probable that doctors could have done enough to allow it to heal over time.
- Mr Ivison, a clergyman of the English Church; and on Mr Ivison's removal to a curacy in the county of Durham, Mr Hutton succeeded him in his school at Jesmond.
- Hutton did work for a short time at Old Long Benton colliery between the time Mr Ivison left the school and when Hutton succeeded him.
- At this stage Hutton began studying mathematics at evening classes at Mr James' school in Newcastle.
- In 1760 Hutton opened the Mathematical School in Newcastle but he also taught at the main secondary school in the city.
- On the other hand these "higher class" people benefited greatly from the high quality of teaching that Hutton provided.
- Hutton had some pupils who went on to become more famous than their schoolmaster.
- Encouraged by Shafto, Hutton published his first textbook The Schoolmaster's Guide, or a Complete System of Practical Arithmetic at Newcastle in 1764 which he dedicated to Robert Shafto.
- The next textbook which Hutton published, again at Newcastle, was A Treatise on Mensuration.
- Thomas Bewick, born in 1753, was an apprentice in Newcastle when he undertook the illustrations in Hutton's A Treatise on Mensuration (1767-1770).
- Bewick rediscovered the technique of wood engraving which he went on to establish as a major book illustrating technique but Hutton's book was his first assignment.
- Hutton certainly made an inspired choice in having Bewick illustrate his book.
- The fact that 59 schoolmasters from the Newcastle area subscribed to the text before its publication tells us that Hutton had by this time acquired an excellent reputation both as a teacher and as a writer of mathematical texts.
- Not only was Hutton teaching and writing textbooks, but he also undertook a land survey of the area around Newcastle for the mayor and corporation of the city.
- Shafto persuaded Hutton to have greater ambitions than being a schoolmaster in Newcastle and when a competition for the position of professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich in London was announced, following the death of Mr Cowley, Hutton became one of the eleven competitors.
- Maskelyne was one of the panel with the task of choosing the best candidate for the post and there was little doubt that Hutton showed himself to be a class above the rest in the several days of examinations; he was appointed on 24 May 1773.
- In 1779 Hutton became foreign secretary of the Royal Society.
- Banks claimed that Hutton had failed to carry out his duties efficiently, but many in the Society supported Hutton and felt that it was in fact Banks who had failed to manage the affairs of the Society competently.
- Francis Maseres and Nevil Maskelyne were among Hutton's supporters, while many others wrote anonymous pamphlets in support of Hutton and critical of Banks.
- Hutton continued to publish textbooks, treatises and papers.
- Hutton decided then to move, and bought land on the hill south of the river overlooking Woolwich.
- These were therefore sold to the crown who promptly demolished them, leaving Hutton with a hefty profit from his speculation, sufficient to guarantee his financial future.
- Hutton returned to publishing textbooks.
- This academy opened on 4 July 1802 and Hutton's book was immediately adopted for the first intake of cadets, remaining the standard text at the Academy until 1823.
- Hutton retired from his professorship at Woolwich in 1807 at the age of seventy on a pension of £500 per year and went to live in Bedford Row, London.
- Construction of the bridge began in 1824, the year after Hutton's death.
Born 14 August 1737, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Died 27 January 1823, 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! 
- Github:
-
- 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
