James Lockhart

James Lockhart was born on the 26 July 1763 and baptised 19 August 1763 at St. Dunstan's-in-the-East, London, England.

His father, also James Lockhart, of Melchett Park, County Wilts and Shortfield House, near Rumsey, Hants, was formerly a partner-banker at the west end of London. He was a descendant of the old Scottish family of that name, and on the female side from the sister of Oliver Cromwell - Miss Gray (a member of the Society of Friends). He married Mary Harriot L. and they had three children.

John Lockhart [b.1763] was the eldest child, and received early education at Reading School, whence sometime after he went to Eton College, and was there at the same time with the late Duke of Wellington, and his own younger brother John Ingram Lockhart (1766-1835) who was later a Member of Parliament for Oxford.

John Lockhart was, from his earliest youth, fond of study, and when he left Eton College (after an apparently unsuccessfully standing (1)) was considered a very proficient scholar in Latin and Greek, and noted for his Latin versification, a fondness for which he retained throughout his life. On leaving Eton he entered his father's bank, in which he subsequently became a partner. While here, he originated Castle Insurance Company. Being of cheerful and communicative disposition, and possessed early ample means, he entered much into society. On retiring from the banking business in 1799, he settled with his family amidst the romantic scenery of the lake district on the banks of Windermere, after losing his wife. This lady was the daughter of Mr. Coxe of Philadelphia, a very extensive owner of land in America, which, however, was wholly forfeited during the American revolution, owing to Mr. Coxe's siding with the royalists. By this wife he had three daughters and one son.

Amidst the repose of this charming scenery he began more zealously to study mathematics, and kept up a constant correspondence with Francis Maseres (1731–1824), Richard Henry Bonnycastle (1791-1847), Peter Barlow (1776-1862), the late William Frend (1757-1841), and Dr. Isaac Milner (1750-1820), President of Queen's College, Cambridge. There he also formed the acquaintance of Dr. Richard Watson (1737–1816), the learned Bishop of Llandaff. About 1801 there appeared a singular work, which much amused the reading world, entitled Dr. Syntax. It was James Lockhart who suggested the idea of this work to its author, William Coomb (1741-1823).

In the year 1805 he married his second wife. By this lady, who was much younger than himself, he had eight children,— six sons and two daughters. In 1819 he left the north of England for Holland, to give his numerous family the benefit of a more general education. After passing some time at Leyden, he purchased a comfortable house and large garden in the pleasant suburbs of the ancient town of Haarlem. Here he devoted, with untiring patience, the greater portion of his time to the education of his younger children, in which a knowledge of arithmetic ever formed the basis.

Any one, however old, young, poor, or rich, who was fond of mathematics, immediately won his friendship; and many were the young persons to whom he gave mathematical instruction, not any pecuniary remuneration, but for the mere love of the science the so much admired. In this matter his zeal was unbounded; and many there are still living, here as well as abroad, who have to, thank him as the founder of their prosperity.

Among his earliest pupils in this way we may mention Dr. Joshua King (1798-1857), who became President of Queen's College, Cambridge. This boy he discovered to be a genius, and, under his private tuition, in his leisure hours, made considerable proficiency in French and mathematics. John Lockhart was instrumental in sending this young man to Queen's College, Cambridge, with a letter of recommendation to his friend Dr. Isaac Milner (1750-1820), then President of Queen's College, remarking, "I herewith send you a northern star." Mr. Lockhart's method of communicating ideas was particularly pleasant and winning,—indeed, he only considered it his duty as a member of the human family to impart knowledge to others, and continually to instil into the minds of youth grander conceptions of an Infinite Being. He always conveyed to their minds the idea of a Deus geometrisans pervading the whole of creation. While in Holland, one of his chief amusements was the cultivation of flowers, particularly of the dahlia. This beautiful flower was then only just becoming known and had not long been brought from America. In the space of six or seven years, from one solitary, single-flowered dahlia, he had raised the most choice collection to be found in that country, or perhaps in the world. Persons travelled from a distance to see them. He attended to them himself alone.

As he was possessed, of the means of living comfortably and independently, his house was ever open to the scientific; and here, as well as in England, he was accustomed to offer for solution certain algebraical problems to the public, always attaching to each a certain prize in money or books. Among James Lockhart's numerous acquaintance while staying in Holland, we may mention the ex-king of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus (1778-1837), who was very partial to his company, himself an author, and very fond of astronomy. This unfortunate ex-king used to relate his adventures with all the enthusiasm of a Charles the Twelfth (1682-1718), to whom it was his wish to be compared; possessing, however, but one of his characteristics,—obstinacy!

After staying many years in Holland, he returned to England with his family in 1835 upon the death of his younger brother, John Ingram Lockhart, who died without issue, and was Recorder of the city of Oxford, and for many years a representative of that place in Parliament. He took up his abode near Aylesbury, whence, in 1837, he removed to Cowley Rectory, near Oxford, more particularly with the view of watching over his late brother's affairs, whose estates had unfortunately got into Chancery. Notwithstanding this harassing suit, his mind ever remained serene, and he seemed to forget all about it on turning to his never-absent companions, the slate and pencil. In 1841, on the sale of the Cowley estate, he removed to Brompton. It was here, in the year 1843, that he had the great misfortune to lose his second wife.

In the year 1845 he took up his abode in the Isle of Skye, among the distant Hebrides, where he took a shooting district comprising the adjoining island of Razay, belonging to the ancient family of Macleod of Macleod. After a sojourn of a couple of years in this island, universally esteemed, he removed into Argyllshire, and took one of the old mansions of the Stewarts of Appin, situated amidst the most beautiful and romantic scenery imaginable. He was so great a favourite with the country people that they gave him the name of Fingal. After the term for which he had taken Fashnacloich had expired, he removed in 1851 to the other extremity of Great Britain into Somerset, where he resided at Clitsome House, near Washford. Here his usual good health began to decline, and he would remark that he felt, at times he was growing old; yet he would frequently mount his horse and ride to the top of some eminence, attended by his Highland servant, for the purpose of indulging in his favourite sport. Only a few days before his death he shot a pheasant, without the use of spectacles, at 63 yards distance. He died at this house on the 6th of January 1852, in the 89th year of his age, in full possession of his faculties. There is no doubt that a harassing and expensive chancery suit, with the greater number of his children dependent on him, hastened his death at last. His last moments were perfectly composed, and he departed with the words, "God has shown me many mercies. I am not afraid to die." He was never ill in his life, and used to say he never felt thirsty. He was a remarkably early riser; and said that most people killed themselves by eating and drinking too much. He left twelve married children behind him, one of whom is also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. According to his own request he was borne to the grave by twelve poor men, and lies buried in the churchyard adjoining Nettlecombe Court, the seat of Sir Walter Trevelyan. There the scenery is strikingly picturesque, surrounded by woods and gentle slopes, he having himself made choice of this lovely spot.

He was a man whose knowledge extended over a variety of subjects, ever cheerful in society, with a most winning mode of arguing, deliberate without being cold, mathematical without being dry. In the field of argumentation he often used to say that he had learnt much from the celebrated John Stewart, commonly called "the Walking Stewart," author of the Opus Maximum, whose memory he greatly esteemed. James Lockhart's knowledge of languages was also considerable, comprising; Greek, Latin, German, Welsh, Dutch, French, Italian, and latterly he studied the ancient Celtic. Of music he was also passionately fond, and played the violin, flute, and flageolet with great taste.

John Lockhart was one instance of the remarkable class who are led by strong predilection to the cultivation of one particular branch of mathematics, to which they devote a part of the leisure of their whole lives. His subject was the numerical solution of equations. From 1813 to 1850 he published various works on this subject, in English and Dutch; and it appears by his correspondence with Francis Maseres (1731-1824) that he was a diligent investigator of its history as well as theory. The methods of Horner and Sturm did not come into prominent notice till he was more than seventy-five years of age, yet he made himself master of them and wrote on them. It has been said that the taste of mathematics declines with increasing years. If this be true, the instances to the contrary become the more remarkable; and perhaps no one on record is more striking than that of the cultivator of a branch of algebra who acquired new knowledge of it at seventy-five, and published on it at eighty-seven.

Works published by James Lockhart:-

1. A Method of approximating towards the Roots of Cubic Equations &longing to the irreducible case. 1813.
2. Nieuwe en Algemeene leerwyze, diquadraten op to lossen, waarby de Systemas van Descartes en Euler tot biquadraten met derzelven tweede termen worden voortgezet. Haarlem, Holland,1833.
3. Nieuwe oplossing van Cubiek vergelykingen door juiste uitdrukkingen ook by nadering zonder, beproeving af gissing. Haarlem, 1825.
4. Resolution of Equations. Cowley Rectory, Oxford, 1837.
5. Resolution of Two Equations. Oxford, 1839.
6. Extension of the celebrated Theorem of C. Sturm, whereby the Roots of Numeral Equations may be separated from each other, with copious examples. Oxford, 1839.
7. Resolution of Equations by means of Inferior and Superior Limits. Inscribed by permission to the President and Council of the Royal Astronomical Society. London, 1842.
8. The nature of the Roots of Numerical Equations. "Longuntiter est per præcepta, breve et efficax per exempla."— Seneca. Fashnacloich, Argyllshire, May 1850. Published in London.

John Lockhart says, in his preface to this work:—"Following the example of Dr. Prideaux, we must beg the reader to excuse, on account of our age, now verging towards 87 years, any errors he may find in this treatise, either of computation or doctrine: no one has assisted in either."

Sources:

1. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (33rd AGM), Vol 13. 1852, p.112-116
2. The Eton College register 1753-1790. 1921, p338