Samuel Dunn (mathematician)

287: 162: 1151: 300:

be buried "in the parish church belonging to the place where I shall happen to inhabit a little time before my decease". He names seven relations to whom he left £20 each; but to his wife, Elizabeth Dunn, "who hath withdrawn herself from me near thirty years, the sum only of ten pounds". No children are mentioned. His library and instruments were sold at auction.

181:, 2nd edition, octavo, London, 1759. From the preface, it appears that in 1758 Dunn had become master of an academy "for boarding and qualifying young gentlemen in arts, sciences, and languages, and for business", at Chelsea. It was the Maritime Academy, at Ormond House, Paradise Row where there was a good observatory. 131:

In 1743, when the first great fire broke out and destroyed the west town, I had been some time keeping a school and teaching writing, accounts, navigation, and other mathematical science, although not above twenty years of age; then I moved to the schoolhouse at the foot of Bowdown Hill, and taught

299:

He died in January 1794. His will, dated 5 January 1794, was proved at London, on 20 January by his kinsman, William Dunn, officer of excise of London (registered in P.C.C., 16, Holman). Therein he describes himself as "teacher of the mathematics and master for the longitude at sea", and desires to

258:

A New Epitome of Practical Navigation, or Guide to the Indian Seas, containing (1) the Elements of Mathematical Learning, used … in the Theory and Practice of Nautical affairs; (2) the Theory of Navigation. ..; (3) the Method of Correcting and Determining the Longitude at Sea …; (4) the Practice of

303:

He also requested the corporation of Crediton to provide always and have a master of the school at the foot of Bowden Hill residing therein, of the church of England, but not in holy orders, an able teacher of writing, navigation, the lunar method of taking the longitude at sea, planning, drawing,

156:

whereby the circles of the sphere are instantaneously projected on the plane of the meridian for any latitude, and the problems of geography, astronomy, and navigation wrought with the same certainty and ease as by the globes themselves, without the help of scale and compasses, pen and ink.

304:

and surveying, with all mathematical science. For this purpose he left £30 a year. Six boys were to be taught, with a preference to his own descendants. The stock thus bequeathed produced in 1823 dividends amounting to £25 4/- per annum, the school being known by the name of Dunn's School.

251:

The Navigators Guide to the Oriental or Indian Seas, or the Description and Use of a Variation Chart of the Magnetic Needle, designed for shewing the Longitude throughout the principal parts of the Atlantic, Ethiopic, and Southern

636:"XXXV. Some observations of the planet Venus, on the disk of' the Sun, June 6th, 1761; with a preceding account of the method taken for verifying the time of that phœnomenon; and certain reasons for an atmosphere about Venus". 323:

Improvements in the Doctrine of the Sphere, Astronomy, Geography, Navigation, &c. Deduced from the Figure and Motion of the Earth; and Absolutely Necessary to be Applied in Finding the True Longitude at Sea and

233:, folio, London (second and third editions of which appeared in 1788 and 1789, respectively). About this time his reputation led to his being appointed mathematical examiner of the candidates for the 942:"IX. A determination of the exact moments of time when the planet Venus was at external and internal contact with the Sun's limb, in the transits of June 6th, 1761, and June 3d, 1769, by Samuel Dunn" 671:"LXXII. An attempt to assign the cause, why the sun and moon appear to the naked eye larger when they are near the horizon. With an account of several natural phœnomena, relative to this subject". 370:

An Introduction to Latitude, without Meridian Altitudes; and Longitude, at Sea; having Contemporary Observations: with Astronomical Delineations and Nautical Formulas, engraved on copper plates

312:

Besides the seven works mentioned above and his many maps and charts, he also published the following (based on Goodwin (1888), with corrections and additions from modern library catalogues):

231:

New Atlas of the Mundane System, or of Geography and Cosmography, describing the Heavens and the Earth. … The whole elegantly engraved on sixty-two copper plates. With a general introduction

1161: 826:"XVIII. Remarks on the censure of mercator's chart, in a posthumous work of Mr. West, of Exeter: In a letter to Thomas Birch, D. D. Secretary to the Royal Society, from Mr. Samuel Dunn". 273:

A New Directory for the East Indies … being a work originally begun upon the plan of the Oriental Neptune, augmented and improved by Mr. Willm. Herbert, Mr. Willm. Nichelson, and others

340:

An Introduction to the Theory and Use of the Pantographer; As Made and Improved by Thomas Newman, (Successor to Mess. Heath and Wing,) Mathematical Instrument Maker in Exeter Change

286: 144:

Dunn moved to London in December 1751, where he taught in different schools, and gave private lessons. In 1757, he came before the public as the inventor of the "universal

190: 1220: 161: 346:

A New Atlas of Variations of the Magnetic Needle for the Atlantic, Ethiopic, Southern and Indian Oceans; drawn from a theory of the magnetic system

460:

Linear Tables, one, two, three, four, and five, abridged, &c. (Linear Tables viii. ix. of Proper Logarithms. Linear Tables x. xi.) 3 plates

514:

The Astronomy of Fixed Stars, concisely deduced from original principles, and prepared for application to Geography and Navigation, Part I.

747:"CIV. An account of the eclipse of the Sun, October 16, 1762, in a letter from Mr. Samuel Dunn, to Mr. James Short, M. A. And F. R. S" 526:

The Longitude Logarithms; in their Regular and Shortest Order, made easy for use in taking the Latitude and Longitude, at Sea and Land

496:

The Daily Uses of Nautical Sciences in a Ship at Sea, particularly in finding and keeping the Latitude and Longitude during a voyage

330:

A Determination of the exact Moments of Time when the Planet Venus was at external and internal contact with the Sun's Limb, in the

1170: 577: 862:"XLIX. An account of a remarkable meteor: In a letter to the Reverend Thomas Birch, D. D. Secret. Of R. S. From Mr. Samuel Dunn" 352:

The Description and Use of a New and Easy Formula, for determining the time of the day, the azimuth of the sun, and the latitude

199: 454:

A Description of peculiar Charts and Tables for facilitating a Discovery of both the Latitude and Longitude in a Ship at Sea

213:

Dunn married Elizabeth Harrison in 1763. Towards the close of 1763, he gave up the school at Chelsea, and fixing himself at

1225: 240:

Under the company's auspices he was enabled to publish in a handsome form several of his more important works. Such were:

127:, Devonshire, and baptised there on 7 February 1723. His father died at Crediton in 1744. Samuel Dunn wrote in his will: 136:

The schoolhouse was the place where the "English school" was kept previously to its union with the blue school in 1821.

290:

World map by Samuel Dunn, 1794, with star charts, map of the Moon, map of the Solar System and numerous other features.

1083: 520:

Improvements in the Methods now in use for taking the Longitude of a Ship at Sea. Invented and described by S. Dunn

221:, resumed once more his private teaching. In 1764 he made a short tour through France. In 1774, when residing at 6 408:, s. sh. quarto, London, 1784. Engraved. (Another edition, s. sh. quarto, London, 22 September 1784. Engraved.). 207: 170: 184:

On 1 January 1760, he made the observation of a remarkable comet. Other discoveries he communicated to the

275:, fifth edition, London, 1780, with a sixth edition following in 1791. Dunn was living at 8 Maiden Lane, 1230: 1215: 245:

A New and General Introduction to Practical Astronomy, with its application to Geography … Topography

963: 923: 883: 843: 808: 768: 728: 688: 653: 234: 226: 1056: 474:

d in Calculation & Improv'd. (Short Rules for practical navigation.)' octavo, London, 1788.

953: 913: 873: 835: 798: 758: 718: 680: 645: 582: 331: 222: 214: 430:

Tables of Correct and Concise Logarithms … with a compendious Introduction to Logarithmetic

1187: 1165: 1209: 1155: 967: 927: 887: 847: 812: 787:"IX. An account of an appulse of the Moon to the planet Jupiter, observed at Chelsea" 772: 732: 692: 657: 279:, in July 1777, but by September 1780 had taken up his abode at 1 Boar's Head Court, 276: 185: 149: 107: 280: 203: 594: 364:

Nautical Propositions and Institutes; or Directions for the Practice of Navigation

271:

He also "methodised, corrected, and further enlarged" a goodly quarto, entitled

145: 586: 218: 902:"XX. Observations on the eclipse of the sun, April 1, 1764, at Brompton-Park" 502:

An Introduction to the Lunar Method of Finding the Longitude in a Ship at Sea

958: 941: 918: 901: 878: 861: 839: 803: 786: 763: 746: 723: 706: 684: 649: 124: 194:, of which body, however, he was not a fellow. On the title-page of his 267:, octavo, London, 1778; second edition, enlarged, quarto, London, 1786. 394:

Formulas for all parts of Navigation, having the Tables of Logarithms

265:

The Theory and Practice of the Longitude at Sea … with copper plates

1154: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 285: 160: 1174:. Vol. 16. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 211–213. 468:

s Declination. (Errata in the reductions.)' folio, London, 1788.

202:

at Philadelphia, America. A few of his letters to the historian

610:, p. 210 cites: Faulkner, '"Chelsea"', ed. 1829, ii. 211. 188:; between 1761 and 1771, Dunn contributed nine papers to the 358:

A New and Easy Method of finding the Latitude on Sea or Land

148:, or terrestrial and celestial globes in plano", four large 1081:

Auction catalogue of Samuel Dunn's library and instruments

317:

A Popular Lecture on the Astronomy and Philosophy of Comets

1039: 1037: 946: