William Barlow, Mathematician

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Contributed by Kent Barlow
From: A New General Biographical Dictionary
Projected and partly arranged by the late Rev. Hugh James Rose, B.D.
Principal of King's College, London

Barlow, William, commonly written Barlowe, an eminent mathematician of the latter half of the sixteenth century. He was born in Pembrokeshire, his father being then the bishop of St. David's. In 1560 he entered a commoner at Baliol college, and having taken a degree as B.A., in 1564, he left the university and went to sea, but in what capacity is not known.  About the year 1573 he entered into orders, and was promoted to a prebend's stall at Winchester, and rector of Easton, near that city.  In 1588 he was made prebendary of Lichfield, which he exchanged for the office of treasurer to that church.  He was afterwards appointed chaplain to Prince Henry, eldest son of King James I, and in 1614 archdeacon of Salisbury.  He died in the year 1625.

Barlowe was the first English writer on the nature and properties of the magnet.  He was the first who made the inclinatory instrument transparent, and to be used with a glass on both sides.   It was he also who suspended it in a compass box, which, with the weight of two ounces, was made fit for use at sea.  He also found out the difference between iron and steel, and their tempers for magnetical uses.  He likewise discovered  the proper method of touching magnetical needles; of piercing and cementing loadstone; and also why a ;padstone, being double-capped, must take up so great a weight.  The work which established his reputation, and which, considering the period at which it was written, is certainly a most extraordinary production, is entitled, the Navigator's Supply, containing many things of principal importance belonging to Navigation, and Use of Diverse Instruments framed chiefly for that purpose, 4to Lond. 1597. "This booke," said he, "was written by a bishop's sonne, and by affinitty, to many bishop's kinne; himself a good pastor," --  the author feeling it necessary to enter into a long defence of his emploing his time upon subjets so foreign to his vocation; which he does with great skill and in a singularly quaint style.   This work contains descriptions of several instruments for the use of navigation, the principal of which is an azimuth compass, with two upright sights; and as the author was very indefatigable in making experiments on the loadstone, he treats well and fully upon the sea-compass.  But Barlowe did not pursue his scientific career uninterrupted; his writings drew down upon him the "idle animadversions" of Mark Ridley, M.D., who published a severe critique upon another work of Barlowe's entitled Magnetical Advertisements, or Diverse pertinent Observatons and improved Experiments concerning the Nature and Properties of the Loadstone, 4to, Lond. 1616.  This paper war ended in the complete triumph of Barlowe.  Barlowe is mentioned with commendation by Gabriel Harvey, in his Pierce's Supererogation 4to, 1593.  --Hutton's Math. Dict. and Davies's Hist. of Mag. in vol. i of the British Annual--

Prebend:  a stipend paid out of cathedral revenue, e.g. to a member of the chapter
    --the land or tithe which produces this revenue --

Prebendary:  a cleric receiving a prebend -- Church of England-- an honorary canon
     receiving no such stipend.

Canon:  A church law -- any general principle or body of principles--
                --a list of people venerated as saints --
               -- a member of the chapter,  or administrative body, of a cathedral --