Person: Maccoll, Hugh

Hugh MacColl was a Scottish mathematician, logician and novelist.

Since Martha MacColl spoke only Gaelic, this meant that Hugh's first language was Gaelic.
Only after the move to Ballachulish did Hugh begin to learn English.
When Malcolm was dismissed by his Bishop, he was no longer in a position to provide financial support for Hugh who had to give up his ideas about studying at Oxford.
In 1858 Hugh MacColl moved to England where he taught at various schools until 1865 when he moved to Boulogne-sur-Mer in France.
Apparently, MacColl frequented the place: a letter to Bertrand Russell on the Reading Room's writing paper has been preserved.
When MacColl arrived in Boulogne he began teaching mathematics and English at the Collège Communal in the town.
Most of MacColl's original contributions to mathematics and logic were through papers, discussions and books after he moved to France.
MacColl has other interests outside mathematics and logic.
In this book, MacColl argues that the Christian religion is the most ethical, yet many do not believe in Christianity because they cannot accept the miracles on which the religion is based (particularly the resurrection of Jesus).
In fact, the book can be thought of as MacColl's attempt to put Christianity on a purely scientific basis.
MacColl continued to teach until 1908, essentially running a boarding school from his home.

Born 11 January 1837, Strontian, Argyllshire, Scotland. Died 27 December 1909, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

View full biography at MacTutor

Origin Scotland

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

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