Nathaniel Torporley (1564–1632) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

, and astrologer.

Life

He was born in

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

, and was admitted to Shrewsbury free grammar school as an 'oppidan' in 1571. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, 17 November 1581, as a 'plebeian,' and graduated B.A. on 5 February 1584; and proceeded M.A. from

Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...

on 8 July 1591. Entering holy orders, he was appointed rector of

Salwarpe Salwarpe is a small village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, less than two miles south west of Droitwich, but in open country. The name is also spelled Salwarp, and in the time of John Leland was recorded as S ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

on 14 June 1608, a living he held until 1622. He also occurs as rector of

Liddington Liddington is a village and civil parish near Swindon in Wiltshire, England. The settlement lies southeast of Swindon town, close to junction 15 of the M4 motorway, which is approximately away via the B4192. History The parish has been an a ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, in 1611, though he seems to have resided chiefly at

Sion College Sion College, in London, is an institution founded by Royal Charter in 1630 as a college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse, under the 1623 will of Thomas White, vicar of St Dunstan's in the West. The clergy who benefit by the foundation ...

, London. Torporley associated with

Thomas Harriot Thomas Harriot (; – 2 July 1621), also spelled Harriott, Hariot or Heriot, was an English astronomer, mathematician, ethnographer and translator to whom the theory of refraction is attributed. Thomas Harriot was also recognized for his con ...

and acquired a knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. He was supported by

Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, KG (27 April 1564 – 5 November 1632) was an English nobleman. He was a grandee and one of the wealthiest peers of the court of Elizabeth I. Under James I, Northumberland was a long-term prisoner i ...

, who for several years gave him an annual pension. On 27 November 1605, just after the discovery of the

Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sough ...

, Torporley was examined by the council for having cast the king's nativity. For two or more years he resided in France, and was amanuensis to

François Viète François Viète, Seigneur de la Bigotière ( la, Franciscus Vieta; 1540 – 23 February 1603), commonly know by his mononym, Vieta, was a French mathematician whose work on new algebra was an important step towards modern algebra, due to i ...

of Fontenay, against whom he published a pamphlet under the name of Poulterey. He died in Sion College, London, and was buried in St. Alphege's Church on 17 April 1632.

Works

He published ''Diclides Coelometricae; seu Valuae Astronomicae universales, omnia artis totius munera Psephophoretica in sat modicis Finibus Duarum Tabularum methodo Nova, generali et facillima continentes'', London, 1602. With this was presented a preface, entitled ''Directionis accuratae consummata Doctrina, Astrologis hactenus plurimum desiderata''; and ''Tabula praemissilis ad Declinationes et coeli meditationes'', in five parts. He left a

nuncupative will An oral will (or nuncupative will) is a will that has been delivered orally (that is, in speech) to witnesses, as opposed to the usual form of wills, which is written and according to a proper format. A minority of U.S. states (approximately 20 ...

, dated 14 April 1632, by which he bequeathed to the library of Sion College all his mathematical books, astronomical instruments, notes, maps, and a brass clock. Among these books were some manuscripts: ''Congestor: Opus Mathematicum'', ''Philosophia'', ''Atomorum Atopia demonstrata'', ''Corrector Analyticus Artis posthunc''. Administration of the will was granted on 6 January 1633 to his sister, Susanna Tasker. He was executor of the papers of Harriot, his teacher. He worked over them, but the work that eventually appeared, the ''Artis Analyticae Praxis'' (1631), was edited together by

Walter Warner Walter Warner (1563–1643) was an English mathematician and scientist. Life He was born in Leicestershire and educated at Merton College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1578. Andrew Pyle (editor), ''Dictionary of Seventeenth Century British Phi ...

. Helena Mary Pycior, ''Symbols, Impossible Numbers, and Geometric Entanglements'' (1997), pp. 55–6.

Life

Works

References

Sources

Further reading