EMERSON, WILLIAM, an eminent but eccentric mathematician, was born May 14, 1701, at Hurworth, near Darlington, where his father Dudley Emerson taught a school. From him young Emerson received a thorough mathematical education, and the bequest of a good mathematical library. In the earlier part of his life he followed his father's profession, but with little success; and having received a moderate competence from his parents, he soon after devoted himself entirely to studious retirement. Towards the close of 1781, he relinquished his studies and disposed of his library. His death took place soon after, May 20, 1782, at his native village, and in the eighty-first year of his age.
Emerson in person was rather short, but strong and well made, with an open countenance and ruddy complexion. In dress, manners, and appearance, he was eccentric and indeed clownish; but with all his eccentricities he possessed an uncompromising independence of character, and intellectual energy of a very high order. He invariably shut himself up in London during the publication of his works, and carefully revised them sheet by sheet himself, so that they are singularly free from errata. In mechanics, he never advanced a proposition which he had not previously tested in practice, nor published an invention without first proving its effects by a model. Emerson was married, but had no family. His wife employed her leisure in spinning on a curious wheel, of which an accurate drawing is given in his Mechanics; and his favourite recreation was fishing. He was skilled in the science of music, the theory of sounds, and the ancient and modern scales; but he never attained any excellence as a performer.
The following is a list of Emerson's works:—The Doctrine of
VOL. VIII.
Fluxions, 1748, 8vo; The Projection of the Sphere, orthographic, stereographic, and gnomatic, 1749, 8vo; The Elements of Trigonometry, 1749, 8vo; The Principles of Mechanics, 1754, 8vo; A Treatise of Navigation, 1755, 12mo; A Treatise of Algebra, in two books, 1765, 8vo; The Arithmetic of Infinites, and the Differential Method, illustrated by Examples, 1767, 8vo; Mechanics, or the Doctrine of Motion, 1769, 8vo; The Elements of Optics, in four books, 1768, 8vo; A System of Astronomy, 1769, 8vo; The Laws of Centripetal and Centrifugal Force, 1769, 8vo; The Mathematical Principles of Geography, 1770, 8vo; Tracts, 1770, 8vo; Cyclopaedia, or an easy Introduction to the several branches of the Mathematics, 1770, in 10 vols. 8vo; A short Comment on Sir Isaac Newton's Principia; to which is added, A Defence of Sir Isaac against the objections that have been made to several parts of his works, 1770, 8vo; A Miscellaneous Treatise, containing several Mathematical Subjects, 1776, 8vo.