Fonds TaylorB - Papers of Brook Taylor

Identity area

Reference code

TaylorB

Unique identifier

GB 275 TaylorB

Title

Papers of Brook Taylor

Date(s)

  • 1701–1981 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

2 boxes paper

Context area

Name of creator

(1685-1731)

Biographical history

Taylor was born in Edmonton, Middlesex. His father was a merchant and Taylor was tutored at home, becoming an accomplished musician and artist. In 1701, he was admitted as a fellow-commoner to St John's. Here he studied law, mathematics and physics, taking the degrees of LLB in 1709 and LLD in 1714. Elected fellow of the Royal Society in 1712, Taylor was chosen to serve on the committee adjudicating the controversy between Newton and Leibniz over calculus. In 1715, Taylor was elected secretary of the Royal Society and published two books, 'Linear Perspective' and 'Methodus incrementorum directa et inversa'. Taylor was a friend of John Keill, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford, and of the French probabilist Pierre Rémond de Montmort. He was involved in a bitter public dispute with Bernouilli, who accused him of plagiarism in his 'Methodus'. Taylor was twice married and in 1729 inherited the family estate of Bifrons, near Canterbury.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented to St John's College in 1908 by Ernest Taylor ('The Eagle' XXX (1909), 105). The material came to the library with other papers of Sir Robert Forsyth Scott (1849-1933), Master 1908-33.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Includes notebooks, musical papers, mathematical notes, printed ephemera, and correspondence.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • Latin
  • French

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Preferred citation: St John's College Library, Papers of Brook Taylor

Alternative identifier(s)

Former reference

U.19

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

28 May 2009

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places