HUTTON, CHARLES, was born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the 14th of August 1737. Ho was descended from a family in Westmor land which had the honour of being oounected by marriage with that of Sir Isaac Newton. His father, who was a superintendent of mines gave his children such education as his circumstances would permit, which did not extend beyond the ordinary branches. Charles, the youngest of the sons, manifested at an early period au extraordinary predilection for mathematical studies, and while yet at school ho is said to have mado considerable progress with little or no aid from his muter. Upon the death of his father, which happened before he had completed his eighteenth year, he became teacher in a school at the neighbouring village of Jesroond ; and some years afterwards his master, who was a clergyman, having been presented to a living, resigned the school in his favour. In 1760 Hutton married, and removed his establiehment to Newcastle, where he met with consider able encouragement. While engaged in tuition he wrote his first work, entitled 'A Practical Treatise on Arithmetic and Book-Keeping,' which appeared in 1764, and soon passed through several editions. In 1771 he published his ' Treatise on Mensuration,' 4to, London ; and the same year the bridge of Newcastle having been nearly destroyed by a great flood, he drew up a paper upon the best means of securing its future stability, which was afterwards published under the title of Principles of Bridges, and the Mathematical Demonstration of the Laws of Arches,' Svc), Newcastle, 1772. In 1773 he became a candidate for the professorship of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy of Woolwich. The examination was conducted with exemplary im partiality by four eminent mathematicians—Dr. Horaley, afterwards bishop of Rochester; Dr. Maskelyne, the astronomer-royal; Colonel Watson, the chief engineer to the East India Company ; and Mr. Landen. After its termination the examiners expressed high appro bation of all the candidates, who were eight in number, but gave a decided preference in favour of Mr. Hutton, and he was accordingly appointed to the professorship. On the 10th of November 1774 (Thomson's ' History of the Royal Society ') Hutton was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and upon the accession of Sir John Pringle to the presidency he was appointed foreign secretary to that body, which office he continued to hold with the greatest credit until he was displaced by Sir Joseph Banks in 1778-79, on the plea that it was requisite the secretary should reside constantly in Loudon. ['loess, Ste JOSEPII.
In 1775 le Royal Society instituted a series of experiments on the mountain Schehallien in Perthshire, with a view to determine the mean density of the earth. These were conducted principally under the direction of Dr. Maskalyne, and when completed the labour of making the necessary calculations was allotted to Mr. Hutton, who was considered the most competent person for the undertaking. His report
is contained in the ' Philosophical Transactions' of the year 1778. In the year 1779 the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the University of Edinburgh. In 1781 he published his Tables of the Product and Powers of Numbers,' 8vo, Loudon ; and in 1785 his Mathematical Tables,' containing the common, hyperbolic. and logistic logarithms, with the sines, tangents, &c, both natural and logarithmic, 8vo, Loudon. To these succeeded his 'Tracts on Mathematical and Philosophical Subjects,' Ito, London, 1786. which were reprinted in 1312, 3 vols. 8vo, London. In 1795 appeared his Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary,' in two large quarto volumes, which has since sus plied all subsequent works of that description with valuable information both in the sciences treated of and in scientific biography. About this time he undertook, in conjunction with Drs. Pearson and Shaw, the arduous task of abridging the Philosophical Transactions. The work was completed in 1809 in 18 vole. 4to, and Dr. Hutton is said to have received for his labour the sum of 60004 In 1806 he was attacked by a pulmonary complaint, which a few years after led to his retirement from the academy, when the Board of Ordnance mani fested their approbation of his long and meritorious services by granting him a pension for life of 5001. per annum. Dr. Hutton died ou the 27th of January 1823in the eighty-sixth year of his age, and was buried at Charlton in Kent.
Dr. Olinthus Gregory, the successor and biographer of Dr. Hutton, says in his memoir, that as a preceptor be "was characterised by mildness, kindness, promptness in discovering the difficulties which his pupils experienced, patience in labouring to remove those diffi cultiea, unwearied perseverance, and a never-failing love of the art of communicating knowledge by oral instruction." He was equally characterised by an unaseumiug deportment and general simplicity of manners, by the mildness and equability of his temper, and the per manency and warmth of his personal attachments. His benevolence was great, and ho was a kind friend and benefactor to the needy votary of science.
Towards the close of Dr. Hutton'a life a subscription was entered Into by his friends and pupils for a marble bust, which was admirably executed by Gabagan, and at his death was bequeathed to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle, where it now is.
Besides tho works above mentioned, and the papers iu the 'Trans actions of the Royal Society,' Dr. Hutton was a eouitant contributor to the ' Lady's Diary,' of which periodical he was editor for many years. His remaining work. consist of—' Elements of Conic Section.; eve, 1787 ; ' A Course of Mathematics, designed for the Use of Cadets In the Royal Mlitery Academy; 3 vole., London, 1798-1801, of which several later editions have appeared; ' Recreations in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, from the French of Montucla,' 4 vole. 8vo, London, 1803 ; and some others.