Person: Maseres, Francis

Francis Maseres was an English mathematician who wrote some influential text-books.

Peter Maseres was a doctor who first lived in Broad Street, Soho, London but then moved to Rathbourne Place.
Francis attended the Rev Richard Wooddeson's School in Kingston-upon-Thames before matriculating at Clare College, Cambridge, on 4 July 1748.
Francis was ranked as fourth wrangler meaning that he was fourth out of the students awarded a first class degree.
Francis was awarded the first chancellor's classical medal which was presented to him by the Duke of Newcastle.
In 1750 Maseres entered the Inner Temple meaning he was training to join the legal profession.
Maseres wrote many mathematical works which show a complete lack of creative ability.
It is probable that Maseres rejected all mathematics which he could not understand.
Maseres had an unfortunate influence on the teaching of algebra in Britain for several decades.
Of the reprints that Maseres made at his own expense, the most significant is the "Scriptores logarithmici" (1791-1807), six volumes devoted to the subject of logarithms, including works of Kepler, Napier, Snell, and others, interspersed with original tracts on related subjects.
Presumably a number of authors were indebted to Maseres for financial assistance of this sort.

Born 15 December 1731, London, England. Died 19 May 1824, Reigate, Surrey, England.

View full biography at MacTutor

Origin England

Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0!

O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive