Norwich, Norfolk

Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles


A local guide book states that 'the layout of a medieval game' is carved on a stone bench in the cloisters of Norwich Cathedral, [1]. No photograph is given and I haven't seen it, but it is most likely a Nine Men's Morris board.

The first municipal public library in Britain was founded in Norwich, in 1608. The original 1772 volumes are still in the city library. [2] Cf Manchester and Reigate; and also Innerpeffray and Marsh's Library, Dublin.

Samuel Clarke (1675-1729) was born in Norwich [3].

Robert Woodhouse (1773-1827) was born in Norwich [4].

Hubert Horace Lamb (1913-1997, grandson of the applied mathematician Horace Lamb) was the pioneer student of climatic changes. He came to the new University of East Anglia (on the outskirts of Norwich), c1971, as professor and first director of the Climatic Research Unit. [5]

Martin Hollis (1938-1998) was a distinguished professor of philosophy here, but he was also a noted composer of logic puzzles for New Scientist and a collection of these appeared as Tantalizers: A Book of Original Logical Puzzles in 1970.


References (show)

  1. Norwich Official Guide, Norwich Publicity Assoc. & East Anglia Tourist Board, nd (1973?), p.25
  2. Dunn, John & Martin, Colin. John Dunn's Answers Please. (BBC, 1994); revised and expanded, Penguin, 1995, p.117.
  3. Ball, Walter William Rouse. A History of the Study of Mathematics at Cambridge. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1889., p.76
  4. Ball, Walter William Rouse. A History of the Study of Mathematics at Cambridge. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1889., p.118
  5. Tucker, Anthony. A change in the weather, The Guardian (30 Jun 1997) 15

The Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles was created by David Singmaster.
The original site is at THIS LINK.