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Authorised form of nameBarlow; Peter (1776 - 1862); mathematician
Dates1776 - 1862
NationalityBritish
Place of birthNorwich, Norfolk, England
Date of birthOctober 1776
Date of death01 March 1862
Research fieldMathematics
Physics
Optics
ActivityCareer:
School teacher; knew Charles Hutton (FRS 1774); Assistant and then Mathematical Master, Royal Military Academy Woolwich (1801 - 1847); published 'An Elementary Investigation of the Theory of Numbers' (1811), 'A New Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary' (1814),'New Mathematical Tables' also known as Barlow's Tables in 1814 and 'Essay on the Strength of Timber and other Materials' (1817); devised a method for remedying the effect of iron on compasses in iron ships; worked on magnetism and electromagnetism (1823-1833); developed achromatic lenses and worked with Dolland; worked on steam locomotion - sat on railway commissions in 1836, 1839, 1842 and 1845.
Memberships:
FRAS
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election29/05/1823
RSActivityMedals and prizes:
Copley Medal 1825
RelationshipsFather of Peter William Barlow (FRS 1845) and of William Henry Barlow (FRS 1850)
SourceSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB
Obituaries:
Proc Roy Soc 1862-1863 vol 12 pp xxxiii-xxxiv
References:
K K Schwarz, 'Faraday and Babbage' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp367-381
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/303883
CodeNA5788
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
EC/1823/04Barlow, Peter: certificate of election to the Royal Society
DM/3/158Dollond, 'Report on Mr Barlow's Telescope'24 March 1831
DM/3/160Report by the Barlow Telescope CommitteeMay 1831
MC/2/93Letter from Captain A. Smyth, Bedford, to the Royal Society15 August 1833
MC/1/309Letter from Peter Barlow to Dr. [Peter Mark] Roget, Secretary of the Royal Society 2 June 1831
MC/1/325Letter from Peter Barlow, Woolwich, to Dr. [Peter Mark] Roget, Secretary of the Royal Society 11 August 1831
RR/1/186Referee's report by Peter Barlow, on a paper 'Experiments to determine the quantity of light reflected by Plane Metallic Specula under different angles of incidence; with a description of the photometer made use of' by Richard Potter[1930]
RR/1/92Referee's report by Peter Barlow, on a paper 'On some elementary laws of electricity' by William Snow Harris[1834]
PT/15/27Paper, 'On the effects produced in the rates of chronometers by the proximity of masses of iron' by Peter Barlow[1821]
PT/16/24i/1Manuscript, 'Observations and experiments on the daily variation of the horizontal and dipping needles under a reduced directive power' by Peter Barlow[1823]
PT/15/27/1Manuscript, 'On the effects produced in the rates of chronometers by the proximity of masses of iron' by Peter Barlow[1821]
PT/15/27/2Plate, diagrams of chronometer parts by unknown artist[1821]
PT/16/24i/2Plate, diagram of magnetic variation in compass by [Peter Barlow][1823]
PT/18/21Portion of paper, 'An account of the preliminary experiments and ultimate construction of a refracting telescope of 7.8 inches aperture, with a fluid concave lens' by Peter Barlow in a letter to Davies Gilbert[1828]
PT/35/4Paper, 'On the spontaneous electrical currents observed in the wires of the electric telegraph' by W H [William Henry] Barlow[1848]
MC/2Volume 2 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1832-1838
MC/2/59Letter from [Peter] Barlow to George Dollond, St. Paul's Churchyard22 October 1832
MC/3Volume 3 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1839-1843
MC/3/72Letter from Peter Barlow, Woolwich, to Samuel Hunter Christie, Secretary of the Royal Society 9 March 1840
MC/3/207Letter from Peter Barlow, Woolwich, to Samuel Hunter Christie, Secretary of the Royal Society14 March 1842
MC/1Volume 1 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1800-1831
PT/16/24iPaper, 'Observations and experiments on the daily variation of the horizontal and dipping needles under a reduced directive power' by Peter Barlow[1823]
AP/8A/1/1Unpublished manuscript, 'An account of certain experiments made with a view of determining the law of attraction between iron and a magnetic compass needle' by P [Peter] Barlow10 May 1819
AP/8A/1/3Unpublished diagram, position of balls in relation to magnetic needle by [Peter Barlow]10 May 1819
AP/8A/1/2Unpublished diagram, position of magnetic needle by [Peter Barlow]10 May 1819
AP/11/3/2Unpublished diagrams, compass and wire arrangements by [Peter Barlow][1822]
AP/11/3/1Unpublished manuscript, 'On the mathematical laws of electro magnetism' by Peter Barlow[1822]
AP/30/2Unpublished paper, 'On the existence of alternating diurnal currents of electricity at the terrestrial surface and their connection with the diurnal variation of the horizontal magnetic needle' by W H [William Henry] BarlowJune 1847
AP/31/2Paper, 'On the spontaneous electrical currents observed in the wires of the electric telegraph' by W H [William Henry] Barlow1848
AP/31/2/1Manuscript, 'On the spontaneous electrical currents observed in the wires of the electric telegraph' by W H [William Henry] Barlow1848
AP/11/3Unpublished paper, 'On the mathematical laws of electro magnetism' by Peter Barlow[1822]
AP/8A/1Unpublished paper, 'An account of certain experiments made with a view of determining the law of attraction between iron and a magnetic compass needle' by P [Peter] Barlow10 May 1819
RR/1/179Referee's report by Peter Barlow, on a paper 'Démonstration de l’égalité à deux droits de la somme des angles d’un triangle quelconque, indépendamment de la théorie des parallèles, et de la considération de l’infini' by M Paulet18 February 1836
PT/73/11/20Diagrams, apparatus for detecting magnetism in rotating iron bodies by [Peter Barlow?][1825]
MC/19/40Letter from Crawford Barlow, Fordwich House, Fordwich, Kent, to the Secretary of the Royal Society5 March 1904
AP/20/4Unpublished paper, 'On the valuation of the mechanical effect of gradients on a line of rail road' by Peter Barlow1836
HS/3/292Copy letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Woolwich14 March 1830
HS/3/290Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel29 January 1828
HS/3/291Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Woolwich4 February 1828
HS/3/287Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Royal Military Academy20 December 1824
HS/3/295Letter, from Sir John Herschel to Peter Barlow, dated at Slough8 May 1830
HS/3/294Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Woolwich5 April 1830
HS/3/296Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel24 August 1830
HS/3/293Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Woolwich22 March 1830
HS/3/286Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Royal Military Academy16 June 1823
HS/3/289Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Woolwich28 July 1827
HS/3/288Letter, from Peter Barlow to Sir John Herschel, dated at Royal Military Academy16 February 1825
MS/957/84Letter from Peter Barlow, Woolwich, to 'Dear Sir' [Henry Kater]1 December 1827
HS/21/65Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Peter Barlow, dated at Slough31 March 1830
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