The will signed by John Hymers on 24 August 1885 served as the financial catalyst for the establishment of Hymers College in Hull. Although initial legal complications threatened his bequest, his brother Robert secured the institution’s future by providing a donation of 50,000 pounds to honor the mathematician's vision of training local intelligence.
Academic Career at Cambridge
Born in Ormesby in 1803, Hymers attended Sedbergh School before entering St John's College in 1822. He graduated as second wrangler in 1826 and secured a fellowship the following year. His professional life at the college spanned over two decades, during which he served as an assistant tutor, tutor, and eventually president. His scholarly contributions were recognized in 1838 when he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
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Hymers produced several influential texts that incorporated mathematical concepts from continental Europe. His 1830 Treatise on the Analytical Geometry of Three Dimensions and his 1837 Treatise on Conic Sections and the Theory of Plane Curves, which introduced the method of abridged notation, became standard academic references. Additional works included his studies on integral calculus, differential equations, and spherical trigonometry.
Life as a Cleric
In 1852, Hymers left his academic positions to become the rector of Brandesburton in East Yorkshire. He remained in this post for 35 years until his death on 7 April 1887. During his time in Holderness, he served as a Justice of the Peace for the East Riding starting in 1857. He was eventually interred at the Church of St Mary.
Fast facts
- Born: 20 July 1803, Ormesby
- Died: 7 April 1887, Brandesburton
- Education: Sedbergh School, St John's College
- Award: Fellow of the Royal Society, 1838
- Positions: Rector of Brandesburton, Justice of the Peace
- Notable Foundation: Hymers College
Questions readers ask
Why was the original bequest for Hymers College invalid?
The wording of his will violated regulations associated with the medieval Statute of Mortmain.
Did Hymers have any children?
No, he never married.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 1838
- Held posts at St John's College
- Fields: mathematician
