GEORGE PEACOCK was born on April 9, 1791, at Denton
in the north of England, 14 miles from Richmond in Yorkshire.
His father, the Rev. Thomas Peacock, was a clergyman of the
Church of England, incumbent and for 50 years curate of the
parish of Denton, where he also kept a school. In early life
Peacock did not show any precccity of genius, and was more
remarkable for daring feats of climbing than for any special
attachment to study. He received his elementary education
from his father, and at 17 years of age, was sent to Richmond,
to a school taught by a graduate of Cambridge University to
receive instruction preparatory to entering that University.
At this school he distinguished himself greatly both in classics
and in the rather elementary mathematics then required for
entrance at Cambridge. In 1809 he became a student of Trinity
College, Cambridge.

Here it may be well to give a brief account of that Uni-
versity, as it was the alma mater of four out of the six mathe-
maticians discussed in this course of lectures. ^†

At that time the University of Cambridge consisted of seven-
teen colleges, each of which had an independent endowment,
buildings, master, fellows and scholars. The endowments, gen-
erally in the shape of lands, have come down from ancient times;
for example, Trinity College was founded by Henry VIII in

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