William Whiston
| William Whiston | |
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William Whiston (1667–1752)
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| Born |
9 December 1667 Norton-juxta-Twycross, Leicestershire, England |
| Died | 22 August 1752 (aged 84) Lyndon, Rutland, England |
| Residence | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Nationality | English |
| Fields | Mathematician, theologian |
| Institutions | Clare College, Cambridge |
| Alma mater | Clare College, Cambridge |
| Academic advisors |
Isaac Newton Robert Herne |
| Notable students | James Jurin |
| Known for | Translating the works of Josephus, catastrophism, isoclinic maps, work on longitude |
| Influences |
David Gregory Isaac Newton |
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William Whiston (9 December 1667 – 22 August 1752) was an English theologian, historian, and mathematician, a leading figure in the popularisation of the ideas of Isaac Newton. He is now probably best known for helping to instigate the Longitude Act in 1714 (and his attempts to win the rewards that it promised) and his important translations of the Antiquities of the Jews and other works by Josephus (which are still in print). He was a prominent exponent of Arianism and wrote A New Theory of the Earth.
Whiston succeeded his mentor Newton as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Having lost the position over his theological views, he spent the rest of his life as a lecturer and writer.
Whiston was born to Josiah Whiston and Katherine Rosse at Norton-juxta-Twycross, in Leicestershire, where his father was rector. He was educated privately, for his health, and so that he could act as amanuensis to his blind father. He studied at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Tamworth. After his father's death, he entered Clare College, Cambridge as a sizar on 30 June 1686. He applied himself to mathematical study, was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) (1690), and AM (1693), and was elected Fellow in 1691 and probationary senior Fellow in 1693.
William Lloyd ordained Whiston at Lichfield in 1693. In 1694, claiming ill health, he resigned his tutorship at Clare to Richard Laughton, chaplain to John Moore, the bishop of Norwich, and swapped positions with him. He now divided his time between Norwich, Cambridge and London. In 1698 Moore gave him the living of Lowestoft where he became rector. In 1699 he resigned his Fellowship of Clare College and left to marry.
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