James Hodgson (1672–1755) was an English astronomer, mathematical teacher, lecturer and writer. James Hodgson White

Life

The nephew of

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...

, Hodgson was an assistant to the first Astronomer Royal,

John Flamsteed John Flamsteed (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. His main achievements were the preparation of a 3,000-star catalogue, ''Catalogus Britannicus'', and a star atlas called '' Atlas ...

, at the

Royal Observatory, Greenwich The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG; known as the Old Royal Observatory from 1957 to 1998, when the working Royal Greenwich Observatory, RGO, temporarily moved south from Greenwich to Herstmonceux) is an observatory situated on a hill in Gre ...

, between 1695 and 1702. In 1703 he was elected Fellow, and in 1733 one of the council, of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. He was master of mathematics at the

Royal Mathematical School Royal Mathematical School is a branch of Christ's Hospital, founded by Charles II. It is currently Christ's Hospital's Maths Department. History It was established so that potential sailors could learn navigation and mathematicians could train ...

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. T ...

from 1709 until his death. Hodgson married Flamsteed's niece in 1702, took part in the controversies in which Flamsteed was engaged and helped bring his works to posthumous publication. He promoted Flamsteed's work in his textbook ''A System of the Mathematics'' (1723) and has been credited with improving standards and examination success at the School. Hodgson died on 25 June 1755, leaving a widow and several children.

Works

When Flamsteed died Hodgson assisted his widow in the publication of her husband's works, and he appears as co-editor of the ''Atlas Cœlestis'', published in 1729. The share which Joseph Crosthwaite had in seeing the works through the press was not acknowledged. Hodgson wrote papers in the ''

Philosophical Transactions ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the second journ ...

'' (vols. xxxvii–xlix.), and also: * ''The Theory of Navigation'', 1706. * ''The Laws of Stereographick Projection'', printed in ''Miscellanea Curiosa'', vol. ii., 1708. * ''A System of the Mathematics'', 1723. * ''The Doctrine of Fluxions founded on Sir Isaac Newton's Method'', 1736. * ''An Introduction to Chronology'', 1747. * ''A Treatise on Annuities'', 1747. * ''The Theory of Jupiter's Satellites'', 1750. He prefixed a short treatise on ''The Theory of Perspective'' to the English translation of the French Jesuit Jean Dubreuil's work on perspective, which went to a fourth edition in 1765.

Notes

;Attribution 1672 births 1755 deaths English mathematicians Fellows of the Royal Society Christ's Hospital staff {{UK-mathematician-stub