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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
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Record Number: 27026


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Though [William Gifford] had few means of improvement, he made the most of what he had. A treatise on algebra had been given him by a young woman, who had found it in a lodging-house. This he considered as a treasure, and he was enabled to study it by means of "Fenning's Introduction," which he found hid away among the books of his master's son. The way in which he was enabled to produce algebraic signs was remarkable. Being deprived by his hard master of pen, ink, and paper, he beat out pieces of leather as smooth as possible, and worked out his problems on them with a blunted awl.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1772 and 31 Dec 1779

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Ashburton

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

William Gifford

Age:

Unknown

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1757

Socio-Economic Group:

Clerk / tradesman / artisan / smallholder

Occupation:

Shoemaker's apprentice

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

treatise on algebra

Genre:

Textbook / self-education, Mathematics

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

27026

Source:

Print

Author:

Samuel Smiles

Editor:

n/a

Title:

A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1891

Vol:

1

Page:

129

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Samuel Smiles, A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray (London, 1891), 1, p. 129, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=27026, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Gifford apprenticed to shoemaker for seven years from when aged 15 (see p.128 in source).

   
   
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