Robert Smith was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and
music theoristMusic theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
.
Life
Smith was probably born at Lea near Gainsborough, the son of the rector of
Gate BurtonGate Burton, , is a village and civil parish about south east of the town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England....
, Lincolnshire. After attending Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Gainsborough (now
Queen Elizabeth's High SchoolQueen Elizabeth's High School is an 11-18 co-educational selective state grammar school, based in Gainsborough in western Lincolnshire, England.The school is selective; pupils wishing to enter at age 11 must sit and pass the Eleven Plus exam prior to entry...
) he entered
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, in 1708, and becoming minor fellow in 1714, major fellow in 1715 and senior fellow in 1739, was chosen Master in 1742, in succession to
Richard BentleyRichard Bentley was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge....
. From 1716 to 1760 he was
Plumian ProfessorThe Plumian chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Lowndean Professorship. The chair is currently held at the Institute of Astronomy in the University...
of
AstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, and he died in the Master's Lodge at Trinity.
In February 1719 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Besides editing two works by his cousin,
Roger CotesRoger Cotes FRS was an English mathematician, known for working closely with Isaac Newton by proofreading the second edition of his famous book, the Principia, before publication. He also invented the quadrature formulas known as Newton–Cotes formulas and first introduced what is known today as...
, who was his predecessor in the Plumian chair, he published
A Compleat System of Opticks in 1738, which gained him the sobriquet of Old Focus, and
Harmonics, or the Philosophy of Musical Sounds in 1749.
Smith never married but lived with his unmarried sister Elzimar (1683–1758) in the lodge at Trinity College. Although he is often portrayed as a rather reclusive character,
John ByromJohn Byrom or John Byrom of Kersal or John Byrom of Manchester FRS was an English poet and inventor of a revolutionary system of shorthand. He is also remembered as the writer of the lyrics of Anglican hymn Christians Awake, salute the happy morn.- Early life :John Byrom was descended from an old...
's journal shows that in the 1720s and 1730s Smith could be quite sociable. Yet ill health, particularly gout, took its toll and severely inhibited his academic work and social activities. He died at the lodge on 2 February 1768, and on 8 February he was buried in Trinity College chapel, the funeral oration being delivered by
Thomas ZouchThomas Zouch , was an English clergyman and antiquary, best known as a student of the works and life of Izaak Walton.-Life:...
.
The Smith Fund
In his will Smith left £3500 South Sea stock to the University of Cambridge. The net income on the fund is annually divided equally between the
Smith's PrizeThe Smith's Prize was the name of each of two prizes awarded annually to two research students in theoretical Physics, mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.- History :...
and the stipend of the
Plumian ProfessorThe Plumian chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Lowndean Professorship. The chair is currently held at the Institute of Astronomy in the University...
.
Books by Robert Smith
- Robert Smith, Harmonics, or, The Philosophy of Musical Sounds, Printed by J. Bentham, and sold by W. Thurlbourn, 1749.
- Robert Smith, A Compleat System of Opticks, 1738.
External links