John Stokes (1720–2 November 1781) was a

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

-born academic who served (1762–1764) as the first

Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and p ...

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

(TCD). He was the son of engineer Gabriel Stokes (1682–1768), who in 1746 became deputy surveyor general of Ireland, and Elizabeth King (1689–1751). John's brother Gabriel (1731–1806) was also a mathematician at TCD.Alumni Dublinenses: a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin (1593–1860) Burtchaell, G.D/Sadlier, T.U p807: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935 John Stokes received a BA (1740) and MA (1743) from TCD, became a fellow there in 1746, and then got a BD (1752) and DD (1755). During 1760–1762, he was Donegall Lecturer of Mathematics, and after his term as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics, he was appointed Regius Professor of Greek in 1764, but retired from TCD the following year. In 1777, he became Rector of Rahy and Clondahorky, Donegal. John was a member of the prominent Anglo-Irish Stokes family, whose notable members include

Sir George Stokes, 1st baronet Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet, (; 13 August 1819 – 1 February 1903) was an Irish mathematician and physicist. Born in County Sligo, Ireland, Stokes spent his entire career at the University of Cambridge, where he served as the Lucasi ...

(Great Grandson),

Whitley Stokes (physician) Whitley Stokes (1763–1845) was an Irish physician and polymath. A one-time United Irishman, in 1798 he was sanctioned by Trinity College Dublin for his alleged republicanism. In 1821, he published a rebuttal of Robert Malthus's thesis that, ...

(Nephew),

William Stokes (physician) William Stokes (1 October 1804 – 10 January 1878) was an Irish physician, who was Regius Professor of Physic at Trinity College Dublin. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School with an MD in 1825 later returning the ...

(Grand Nephew), Sir William Stokes (Great Grand Nephew),

Whitley Stokes (Celtic scholar) Whitley Stokes, CSI, CIE, FBA (28 February 1830 – 13 April 1909) was an Irish lawyer and Celtic scholar. Background He was a son of William Stokes (1804–1878), and a grandson of Whitley Stokes the physician and anti-Malthusian (1763� ...

(Great Grand Nephew),

Margaret Stokes Margaret McNair Stokes (March 1832 – 20 September 1900) was an Irish Illustrator, antiquarian and writer. Life Born in Dublin, she was the daughter of Dr William Stokes and his wife Mary (née Black). One brother, Whitley Stokes, was a lea ...

(Great Grand Niece), Sir Henry Edward Stokes (Great Grand Nephew),

Sir Gabriel Stokes Sir Gabriel Stokes (7 July 184922 October 1920) was an Irish civil servant and colonial administrator of the Indian Civil Service. He acted as the Governor of Madras between February–March 1906. Family Gabriel Stokes was born on 7July 1 ...

(Great Great Grand Nephew), and Charles Stokes (trader) (Great Great Grand Nephew). Australian chemist and Foundation Professor of Chemistry at the

University of New England University of New England may refer to: * University of New England (Australia), in New South Wales, with about 26,000 students * University of New England (United States), in Biddeford, Maine, with about 6,000 students See also * New England Coll ...

, Robin Stokes, is a distant relative.

References

1720 births 1781 deaths Donegall Lecturers of Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin 18th-century Irish mathematicians {{europe-mathematician-stub