James Inman

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James Inman (1776–1859), an English mathematician and astronomer, was professor of mathematics at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, and author of Inman's Nautical Tables.

Early years

Inman was born at Tod Hole in Garsdale, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the younger son of Richard Inman and Jane Hutchinson. He was educated at Sedbergh and St John's College, Cambridge, graduating as first Smith's prizeman and Senior Wrangler for 1800.[1] Among his close college friends was Henry Martyn.

After graduating with first class honours in 1800, Inman intended to undertake missionary work in the Middle East, in Syria, but due to a declaration of war could travel no further than Malta, where he continued to study Arabic.

Astronomer for Matthew Flinders, 1803–04

Returning to England, the

pikemen.[2]

Professor, Royal Naval College

He was ordained into the Anglican ministry in 1805 when he gained his MA. Three years later he received an appointment as Professor of Nautical Mathematics at the

haversines (the term was his coinage[3][4]) to simplify the calculation of distances between two points on the surface of the earth using spherical trigonometry. (For details of the calculation, see Haversine formula
.)

At his suggestion, in 1810 the

Flinders Bar, used for marine compass correction. At the same time as teaching in the school and publishing mathematical texts for the use of his pupils, he translated a French text on the architecture of shipbuilding, and continued his own studies, gaining his doctorate in Divinity in 1820. In recognition of his work in nautical astronomy he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
.

He also directed the design and construction of no less than ten British warships, of which he was proud to state that none ever had the slightest mishap due to an error of design or form.

He retired in 1839, but continued living in Portsmouth until his death twenty years later, on 7 February 1859, aged 83.

Family and legacy

His wife Mary, daughter of Richard Williams, vicar of

Henry Inman (1816–1895), was founder and first commander of the South Australia Police.[5]

In

Sir John Franklin's first North American expedition he named Inman Harbour "after my friend the Professor at the Royal Naval College". During Franklin's second Arctic voyage in 1826 his surveyor named the Inman River, northwest of Coppermine River, Canada, after Inman. In December 1829 a headland of perpendicular cliffs at Tierra del Fuego was named Cape Inman, "in compliment to the Professor," during the voyages of HMS Adventure and HMS Beagle
.

Works

References

  1. ^ "James Inman (INMN794J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  2. ^ Harry W. Dickins. 2007. Educating the Royal Navy: 18th and 19th Century Education for Officers. (London: Routledge), p.47.
  3. ^ "haversine". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.). 2nd ed. 1989.
  4. ^ Inman, James (1835) [1821]. Navigation and Nautical Astronomy: For the Use of British Seamen (3 ed.). London, UK: W. Woodward, C. & J. Rivington. Retrieved 9 November 2015. (Fourth edition: [1].)
  5. ISBN 978-1-74008-559-5
    .

External links

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