Record Number: 27027
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
Timen/a
Place:city: Ashburton
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: 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:'Introduction' [on algebra]
Genre:Textbook / self-education, Mathematics
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
ProvenanceFound
Source Information:
Record ID:27027
Source: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=27027, accessed: 28 September 2023
Additional Comments:
Gifford apprenticed to shoemaker for seven years from when aged 15 (see p.128 in source).
