John West (1756-1817) was a

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, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

from Scotland.

Life and work

Fourth child of Samuel West and Margaret Mein, his father died in 1766. West matriculated in the

University of Saint Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, following the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, t ...

in 1769 thanks to financial help of the presbytery clerk Dr. Adamson. He, like his brothers, studied mathematics under professor Nicolas Vilant. Frontpage of ''Treatises'' (1838), left He was assistant of professor Vilant, who had poor health, but lacking of prospects in his native land, he emigrated to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, in 1784, the same year that ''Elements of Mathematics'' and ''A System of Shorthand'' were published. In Jamaica, West was initially teacher in the Manning's Free School at

Savanna-la-Mar Savanna-la-Mar (commonly known as Sav-la-Mar, or simply Sav) is the chief town and capital of Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica. A coastal town, it contains an 18th-century fort constructed for colonial defence against pirates in the Caribbean. Hi ...

Westmoreland Parish Westmoreland () is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, on the south side of the island. It lies south of Hanover, southwest of Saint James, and northwest of Saint Elizabeth, in the county of Cornwall. The chief town and capital is Savanna-la- ...

. In 1790 he was appointed rector of Saint Thomas in

Morant Bay Morant Bay is a town in southeastern Jamaica and the capital of the parish of St. Thomas, located about 40 kilometres east of Kingston, the capital. The parish has a population of 94,410. During the nineteenth century, the parish was an area o ...

, where he died in 1817. During his life in Jamaica he never left his mathematical studies, despite his academic isolation., page 90. Before his death, he sent the manuscript of ''Mathematical Treatises'' to his old student John Leslie, who published it in 1838.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:West, Jhon 1756 births 1817 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews 18th-century Scottish mathematicians 18th-century Scottish clergy Scottish emigrants to Jamaica