| Authorised form of name | Playfair; John (1748 - 1819) |
| Dates | 1748 - 1819 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Benvie, near Dundee, Angus, Scotland |
| Date of birth | 10 March 1748 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh |
| Date of death | 20 July 1819 |
| Occupation | Clergyman |
| Research field | Mathematics |
| Physics |
| Geology |
| Activity | Education:
St Andrew's University. MA (1765)
Career:
Licensed as a minister (1770); minister, parish of Liff (1773-1782); Joint Professor of Mathematics,Edinburgh University (1785-1805); Professor of Natural Philosophy, Edinburgh University (1805)
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 05/02/1807 |
| Relationships | Eldest son of Rev John Playfair |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB
References:
J B Morrell, 'Professors Robison and Playfair, and the Theophobia Gallica: Natural Philosophy, Religion and Politics in Edinburgh, 1789-1815' in NR 1971 vol 26 pp 43-63 |
| Virtual International Authority File | 15552516 |
| Code | NA8269 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| IM/003600 | Playfair, John | nd |
| MS/251/6 | Obituary of John Playfair, by William Buckland [?] | 31 July 1819 |
| MS/251/5 | Letter from John Playfair, Edinburgh, to William Buckland, Professor of Mineralogy, Oxford | 9 July 1819 |
| EC/1806/14 | Playfair, John: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| PT/5/18/2 | Plate, 'Longitudinal section of Schehallien through the two cairns N and K' by unknown artist | [1811] |
| PT/5/18/3 | Plate, 'Section of Schehallien in the plane of the meridian of O the south Observatory' by unknown artist | [1811] |
| PT/5/18/5 | Plate, draft of figure 3 showing diagram of distribution of quartz and micaceous schist by unknown artist | [1811] |
| PT/5/18/4 | Plate, figure 3 showing diagram of distribution of quartz and micaceous schist by unknown artist | [1811] |
| PT/5/18/1 | Manuscript, 'Account of a lithological survey of Schehallien, made in order to determine the specific gravity of the rocks which compose that mountain' by John Playfair | [1811] |
| PT/5/18 | Paper, 'Account of a lithological survey of Schehallien, made in order to determine the specific gravity of the rocks which compose that mountain' by John Playfair | [1811] |
| L&P/7/20 | Paper, 'On the artithmetic of impossible quantities' by John Playfair | 1778 |
| HS/14/169 | Letter, from John Playfair to William Herschel, dated at Edinburgh | 16 June 1812 |