Henry Billingsley facts for kids

Sir Henry Billingsley (died 22 November 1606) was an important English merchant and a Lord Mayor of London. He is famous for being the first person to translate the ancient Greek mathematics book Euclid's Elements into English.

Early Life and Education

Henry Billingsley was the son of Sir William Billingsley, who was a haberdasher (a seller of sewing items) and an assay master in London. His mother was Elizabeth Harlowe.

In 1551, Henry started studying at St. John's College, Cambridge. He also spent time at Oxford University. While at Oxford, he became very interested in mathematics, thanks to his teacher, David Whytehead.

After his father passed away in 1553, his mother remarried Sir Martin Bowes. Henry didn't finish his university degree. Instead, he became an apprentice to a merchant in London. By 1560, he became a full member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, which was a guild for merchants.

A Busy Career in London

Henry Billingsley became a very successful merchant. His hard work led him to important roles in London's government.

Serving the City

In 1584, he was chosen as a sheriff of London. Sheriffs helped keep law and order and managed elections. The next year, in 1585, he became an alderman for Tower Ward. Aldermen were senior members of the city council who represented different areas of London.

In 1589, Queen Elizabeth I appointed him as one of her four customs collectors. This meant he helped collect taxes on goods coming into and leaving the country.

Lord Mayor of London

In 1596, Henry Billingsley reached a very high position: he became the Lord Mayor of London. This was a great honor and a very powerful job. He was knighted the following year, which meant he was given the title "Sir."

In 1603, he also served as a Member of Parliament for London. He helped poor students by setting up three scholarships at St. John's College. He also served as the President of St Thomas' Hospital, a famous hospital in London.

Translating Euclid's Elements

One of Sir Henry Billingsley's most important achievements was translating Euclid's Elements into English. This book was written by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid.

The First English Version

In 1570, Billingsley published his translation, titled The elements of geometrie of the most ancient philosopher Euclide of Megara. (It should have been Euclid of Alexandria, but people often confused the two back then).

This book was very special for several reasons:

• It included a long introduction by John Dee, a famous mathematician and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Dee's introduction talked about all the different areas of mathematics.
• John Dee also added many helpful notes and extra materials to the book.
• The book was printed by John Day and was quite large.
• It featured amazing three-dimensional fold-up diagrams! These diagrams helped readers understand complex shapes in geometry. This was one of the very first books to include such a cool feature.

The translation was known for being very clear and accurate. It was translated directly from the original Greek text, not from a Latin version that was more common at the time.

Who Helped with the Translation?

Some people wondered if John Dee or David Whytehead (Billingsley's old teacher) did most of the translation work. However, John Dee himself said that he only wrote the introduction and extra notes.

While David Whytehead might have helped a little, there's no strong proof that he did most of the work. It seems that Sir Henry Billingsley did a lot of the translation himself. A copy of Billingsley's own Euclid book, which is now at Princeton College, helped confirm that the translation was indeed his own work and came from the Greek text.

Family Life

Sir Henry Billingsley had a large family. After his father died, his mother remarried twice, making Henry the stepson of Sir Martin Bowes and then Thomas Seckford. His mother passed away in 1586.

Henry Billingsley was married five times and had at least ten children. Most of his children were born during his first marriage to Elizabeth Bourne, who died in 1577. His third wife, Katherine Killigrew, came from an important family in Cornwall.

Around 1598, he bought Siston Court in Gloucestershire with his son, also named Henry. His daughter Elizabeth married a cloth merchant named Sir John Quarles.

Images for kids

• 

  The frontispiece of Sir Henry Billingsley's first English version of Euclid's Elements, 1570

• 

  Siston Court in 1712