Person: Whitworth, Allen
Allen Whitworth became an editor of the newly founded journal Messenger of Mathematics while still an undergraduate at St John's College, Cambridge. He was later elected a fellow of the College and wrote several popular teaching books. He later had a career in the Church and, because of his proposal and encouragement, St John's College set up a Mission for the disadvantaged in London.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- William Whitworth was ordained and was a schoolmaster at Runcorn, later becoming a Perpetual Curate at Little Leigh, Cheshire.
- At the time of the 1851 Census, William Allen Whitworth was eleven years old and is described as a scholar studying at home.
- The first part of Volume 1 of the new journal appeared in November 1861 and the first paper in this part was The equiangular spiral, its chief properties proved geometrically by Whitworth.
- In total there are five papers by Whitworth in the first volume of The Messenger of Mathematics.
- Whitworth was awarded a B.A. in January 1862, and was 16th Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos.
- The writer thinks he remembers a report that Whitworth did much for the infant years of this 'Eagle': and certainly he was, if not a founder, at a very early date leading editor of a new mathematical periodical, 'The Messenger of Mathematics' - a revolt against the somewhat high-dry investigations favoured by the aristocratic journal of the time.
- Whitworth was appointed Mathematics Master at Portarlington School in Portarlington, County Laois, Ireland but, in 1862 became First Mathematical Master of Rossall School, near Fleetwood, Lancashire.
- On Monday, 4 November 1867, Whitworth was elected a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge.
- Whitworth was invited to preach in the St John's College Chapel several times, the first being on 7 and 14 July 1872.
- Whitworth preached a sermon in St John's Chapel on Sunday 28 January 1883.
- It is interesting to look at the position Whitworth takes on gambling for here we have a topic where both his mathematical skills and his religious views play a role.
- Whitworth points out that a fair bet implies that neither party stands to gain or lose in the long run; but, in successive repetitions, if one party is obliged ta stop at some particular moment he may be at a disadvantage.
- Returning to Whitworth's career in the Church, we noted above that he was made vicar of St John the Evangelist in Hammersmith, London in 1875.
- Whitworth accepted the position but was not one to use such for personal profit, and he gave half the income to a neighbouring parish and the other half he used to help the work of the Church.
- Allen and Sarah Whitworth had four sons all of whom graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge: William Hervey Allen Whitworth (1887-1960), became a schoolmaster; George Elwes Allen Whitworth (18 February 1888 - September 1969), became a priest serving many churches including being vicar at St Mary the Great, Cambridge and rural dean of Cambridge; Eric Edward Allen (1889-1971), became a headmaster; and Cyril Clinton Allen Whitworth (12 December 1890 - 8 October 1955) who became an Anglo-Catholic priest, a member of the Society of St John Evangelist and was vicar of St Peter, Mazagon, in the diocese of Bombay, India, and principal of St Peter's school in Mazagon.
- In November 1886 Whitworth was made vicar of All Saints, Margaret Street, Marylebone, London.
- In 1900 Mandell Creighton, the bishop of London, appointed Whitworth prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, London.
- Whitworth gave the series Christian thought on present-day questions.
- All Saints Church, Margaret Street, has a slab in the floor to Whitworth's memory.
Born 1 February 1840, Runcorn, Cheshire, England. Died 12 March 1905, 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
