| Authorised form of name | Gregory; David (c1661 - 1708); mathematician and astronomer |
| Other forms of surname | Gregorie |
| Dates | c1661 - 1708 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| British |
| Place of birth | Kinnairdie, Banffshire, Scotland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 24 June 1661 |
| Place of death | The Greyhound Inn, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Date of death | 10 October 1708 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Maidenhead churchyard, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Occupation | Mathematician |
| Research field | Mathematics |
| Astronomy |
| Optics |
| Activity | Education:
Leyden (admitted 1679); Marischal College, Aberdeen; Edinburgh (MA 1683); incorporated at Oxford (from Balliol College (1692; BMed and DMed 1692)
Career:
Matheson Professor of Mathematics, Edinburgh (1683-1692); Savilian Professor of Astronomy, Oxford (1692-death); Mathematical Tutor to William, Duke of Gloucester (1699); one of the committee for preparing John Flamsteed's (FRS 1677) astronomical observations for the press (1704); friend of Isaac Newton (FRS 1672); died of consumption
Memberships:
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (Honorary) 1705 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 30/11/1692 |
| Proposer | Sir Robert Southwell |
| Other Royal Society activity | Frequent correspondent on mathematical matters;
Had some papers published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' |
| Relationships | Parents: David Gregorie and Jean Walker
Married: Elizabeth Oliphant
Additional relatives: uncle James Gregory (FRS 1668); cousin John Gregory (FRS 1756) |
| Published works | RCN: 41952
RCN: 41951
RCN: 38455
RCN: 41953
RCN: 41955 |
| General context | Through familial connections and his travels early in life, Gregory gained an insight into the knowledge of contemporary mathematicians and likely made the acquaintance of his uncle James Gregorie's (FRS 1668) friend John Collins (FRS 1667). He published his first mathematical work on geometry in 1684 and it was reviewed in the 'Philosophical Transactions'. He was also very impressed by Newton's (FRS 1672) 'Principia' and met him, Edmond Halley (FRS 1678), and John Flamsteed (FRS 1677) when he came to England following the revolution of 1688 and its effects in Scotland. It is thought that Newton's influence helped secure Gregory's appointment as Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. In his major work 'Astronomiae physicae et geometricae elementa' (1702), a textbook on astronomy, Gregory also integrated Newton's gravitational theories into his findings. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; ODNB; MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
Authority:
Preferred name form from DNB and DSB.
References:
Bell, H E. 1961. 'The Savilian Professors' Houses and Halley's Observatory at Oxford', in Notes and Records, vol. 16, pp. 179-186
Cook, A. 2003. 'The end of the affair. The correspondence of John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, vol 3 (1703-1719) by E G Forbes, L Murdin and F Willmoth', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 113-116
Hall, A R. 1982-83. 'Further Newton Correspondence', in Notes and Records, vol. 37, pp. 7-34
Kirsanov, V S. 1992. 'The Earliest Copy in Russia of Newton's Principia: Is it David Gregory's Annotated Copy?', in Notes and Records, vol. 1992, pp. 203-218
Lawrence, P D and Molland, A G. 1970. 'David Gregory's Inaugural Lecture at Oxford', in Notes and Records, vol. 25, pp. 143-178
McGuire, J E and Rattansi, P M. 1966. 'Newton and the "Pipes of Pan"', in Notes and Records, vol. 21, pp. 108-143
Schaffer, S. 1989. 'The Glorious Revolution and Medicine in Britain and the Netherlands', in Notes and Records, vol. 43, pp. 167-190
Simms, D L and Hinckley, P L. 2001. 'David Gregory on Newton's burning mirror', in Notes and Records, vol. 55, pp. 185-190
Wightman, W P D. 1954-55. 'Aberdeen University and the Royal Society', in Notes and Records, vol. 11, pp. 145-158
Zinsser, J P. 2003. 'The ultimate commentary: a consideration of I Bernhard Cohen's Guide to Newton's Principia', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 231-238
Notes:
BR gives birth date as 1659 and DSB and ODNB give 3 June 1659; DNB and index to BR give preferred birth date of 24 June 1661. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/6014298 |
| Royal Society code | NA7998 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| IM/003267 | Newton, Sir Isaac | September 2002 |
| IM/001776 | Gregory, David | 2001 |
| LBO/6/23 | Copy letter from David Gregory to Mr Collins | nd |
| CLP/1/21/2 | Diagram, the Florentine problem by David Gregory in his letter to Edmond Halley | 1693 |
| CLP/1/24 | Paper, 'Responsio ad animadversiones ad Davidis Gregorii Catenariam' [Response to observations of David Gregory's catenary] by unknown author | [1699] |
| MC/7/379 | Letter from John Gregory, 52 Green Street, Park Lane, to the Royal Society | 27 November 1866 |
| CLP/1/24/2 | Diagram, triangle by unknown artist | [1699] |
| CLP/22i/40 | Paper, Account of 'Catoptricae et dioptricae sphaericae elementa [Elements of a catoptric and dioptric globe]' by David Gregory | 1695 |
| CLP/1/21 | Paper, 'Solutio problematis florentum' [Of the solution to the Florentine problem] by David Gregory in his letter to Edmond Halley | 1693 |
| CLP/1/25 | Paper, 'De quadratura curvilinear' [On curved quadrature] by Archibald Pitcairne [and David Gregory?] | 7 September 1688 |
| CLP/22i/63 | Paper, Account of the book 'Euclidis quae supersunt omnia... [Euclid who survives all...]' by David Gregory | 28 July 1703 |
| CLP/1/24/1 | Manuscript, 'Responsio ad animadversiones ad Davidis Gregorii Catenariam' [Response to observations of David Gregory's catenary] by unknown author | [1699] |
| CLP/1/24/3 | Diagram, triangle by unknown author | [1699] |
| CLP/1/21/1 | Manuscript, 'Solutio problematis florentum' [Of the solution to the Florentine problem] by David Gregory in his letter to Edmond Halley | 1693 |
| EL/G1/45 | Letter, from David Gregory to Edmond Halley, dated at Oxford | 11 January 1693 |
| CLP/22i/61 | Paper, Account of 'Astronomiae physicae et geometricae elementa [Of the physical and geometrical elements of astronomy]' by David Gregory | [1703] |
| CLP/3ii/2/1 | Manuscript, 'De ratione temporis que grave labitur per rectam data duo puncta conjungentem, ad tempus bravissimum quo, vi gravitatis, transit ab horum uno ad alterum per arcum cycloidis' by [David] Gregory | [1697] |
| CLP/3ii/2/2 | Diagram, angles of circle, semicircle, and triangle by [David Gregory] | [1697] |
| EL/G1/46 | Letter, from David Gregory to Hans Sloane, dated at Oxford | 12 October 1699 |
| MC/7 | Volume 7 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1864-1866 |
| CLP/3ii/2 | Paper, 'De ratione temporis que grave labitur per rectam data duo puncta conjungentem, ad tempus bravissimum quo, vi gravitatis, transit ab horum uno ad alterum per arcum cycloidis' by [David] Gregory | [1697] |