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Source: https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Barrow/
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MacTutorIsaac Barrow
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London, England
London, England
Biography
Isaac Barrow's father, Thomas Barrow, was a linen draper by trade. Thomas married Ann, daughter of William Buggin of North Cray, Kent in 1624 and their son Isaac was born in 1630. Ann died in 1634 and Thomas sent Isaac to live with his grandfather. Perhaps there is truth in the frequently quoted saying that Isaac's father:-... was heard to pray that should God decide to take one of his children, he could best spare Isaac.Thomas remarried within two years and it is suggested in [5] that this may have been an attempt to get his son back from his father, who was said to be spoiling young Isaac.
Thomas planned for Isaac to become a scholar while still a child. He sent Isaac to Charterhouse and paid twice the regular fee to get special attention for Isaac. However Isaac did not receive this attention and acquired the reputation as a bully while his education suffered. When Thomas heard of this, he transferred Isaac to Felstead, Essex in 1640 where the headmaster had a reputation for strict discipline. Here Isaac made rapid progress, both in developing his character and in learning. At Felstead Barrow learnt Greek, Latin, Hebrew and logic in preparation for University. After he had been at Felstead for two years, Isaac's father incurred losses of £1000 due to the Irish rebellion and was unable to pay Isaac's fees. However, the headmaster, realising Isaac's potential, took him in and later appointed him as a tutor to Thomas Fairfax.
In 1643 Barrow was admitted as a foundation scholar at Peterhouse, Cambridge. His uncle was a Fellow of Peterhouse at the time and when his uncle lost his post due to his Royalist views, Barrow went to Oxford where his brother had become the King's Linen Draper. However there was an uprising against Royalty and Oxford came under siege.
In 1644 Barrow went to London where he was supported by Thomas Fairfax. However, Fairfax soon ran out of money and left Isaac destitute. Barrow accompanied a former school friend, who promised to support him, to Trinity College, Cambridge. Barrow enrolled in 1646 and performed menial duties in return for instruction with poor board and lodging. His friend supported him for six months before he left but, by this time, the siege of Oxford had ended and Barrow made contact with his father who helped support him.
Duport, the Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge, tutored Barrow without taking any fees, both due to Barrow's talent and that both were royalists. Under Duport, Barrow studied Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Italian, literature, chronology, geography and theology. Also at Cambridge at this time it was usual for students to learn some mathematics, either in their second or third year. Barrow studied arithmetic, geometry and optics and, like all students of the time, was encouraged not to specialise in a subject such as mathematics before graduating.
Barrow graduated in 1649 and successfully competed for a college fellowship in the same year. He gave a speech in which he praised the teaching of the classics but criticised the lack of mathematics and science. He started studying mathematics in depth immediately after his graduation. His enthusiasm and willingness to teach enabled him to attract enough people to the subject to help begin to lay the foundations for studying mathematics at Cambridge.
Barrow was considered to be the ring leader of a group of royalists from 1648. However, in 1649, Barrow declared himself to be [5]:-
... true and faithful to the Commonwealth of England as the same is now established, without a King or House of Lords.However he soon went back on this declaration but was saved from expulsion by the Master. Two years later Barrow again faced expulsion due to a speech he made on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. The Master again came to his rescue by telling the Fellows who demanded his expulsion [4]:-
Barrow is a better man than any of us.In 1652 Barrow graduated with his M.A. In 1654 he defended the University in a speech in which he spoke of the importance of learning Greek, Latin and literature for the purpose of acquiring a firm basis for learning. He also praised the advances the University had made in subjects such as Arabic, modern languages such as French, Spanish and Italian, mathematics and science. He ended his speech requesting [<a class="reference" data-popup='<span class="markup">P H Osmond, <em>Isaac Barrow His Life and Times</em> <span class="non-italic">(</s