by Horace Lamb, rev. Isobel Falconer
© Oxford University Press 2004 All rights reserved
Barker, Thomas (1838-1907), mathematician, was born on 9 September 1838, the son of Thomas Barker, farmer, of Murcar, Balgonie, near Aberdeen, and of his wife, Margaret Knowles. Three other children died in infancy. He attended the grammar school, Aberdeen, and King's College, Aberdeen, graduating in 1857 with great distinction in mathematics. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as minor scholar and sub-sizar in 1858, became foundation scholar in 1860, and Sheepshanks astronomical exhibitioner in 1861. He was coached for the mathematical tripos by Routh, and came out senior wrangler and first Smith's prizeman in 1862. He was elected a fellow of Trinity, and was assistant tutor until 1865, when he was appointed professor of pure mathematics in the Owens College, Manchester. He held this post for twenty years, during which the college expanded, gained prestige, and became the nucleus of the Victoria University in Manchester. While doing his share of committee work, Barker kept a low profile within the university administration.
Mathematically, Barker turned his back on Cambridge methods and interests. He had a severely critical mind which restrained him from publishing much and inclined him to follow De Morgan and Boole; like them he was interested in certain fundamental aspects of mathematics. In this respect he was ahead of his time, presaging the introduction of 'rigour' into mathematics. In his teaching he endeavoured to set forth the processes of mathematical reasoning as a connected system from their foundation. His lectures consequently had a reputation for being 'unintelligible to all but the elect' (Wilkinson, 51) but on these few he made a deep impression. His success as a teacher is attested to by a number of distinguished pupils on whom he exercised a great and possibly a determining influence. These include John Hopkinson, J. H. Poynting, A. Schuster, Sir Joseph John Thomson, A. E. Steinthal, and J. W. Capstick.
Barker lived a simple life, was unmarried, and fortunate in his investments enabling him to retire in 1885 and devote his time to studying mosses, on which he was an authority. He maintained a lifelong friendship with J. Stirling, another former senior wrangler. Barker lived first at Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, and afterwards at Buxton, where he died at his home, Woodlea, Lightwood Road, Fairfield, on 20 November 1907. He was buried in the Manchester southern cemetery. In his will he provided for the foundation of a professorship of cryptogamic botany at Manchester University, and for the endowment of bursaries for poor students in mathematics and botany.
HORACE LAMB, rev. ISOBEL FALCONER
Sources
H. Lamb, 'The late Professor Barker', Manchester Guardian (23 Nov 1907)
H. Lamb, 'The late Professor Barker', Manchester University Magazine (Dec 1907)
J. J. Thomson, Recollections and reflections (1936)
The Times (22 Nov 1907) [will]
S. Wilkinson, 'Some college friendships', Record of the Owens College jubilee (1902), 51
J. Thompson, The Owens College: its foundation and growth (1886)
R. H. Kargon, Science in Victorian Manchester (1977)
d. cert.
bap. cert.
Wealth at death
£46,833 4s.: probate, 4 Dec 1907, CGPLA Eng. & Wales
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