Jedediah Buxton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jedediah Buxton
Born	1707 Elmton, near Creswell
Died	1772 Elmton
Occupation	Farm labourer

The caption reads: Jedediah Buxton, A poor Day Labourer: born at Elmton in Derbyshire: who without being able to write or cast Accounts in the Ordinary method: perfor'md the longest Calculations and solv'd the most difficult Problems in Arithmetics, by the strength of his Memory; – neither Noise, nor Conversation cou'd interrupt him: he would either go on with his Calculations all the time or leave off in the midst and resume them again eventhough it should be Years afterwards.

Jedediah Buxton (1707–1772) was a famous English mental calculator. He was born in Elmton, a village near Creswell in Derbyshire. A mental calculator is someone who can do very complex math problems in their head without using any tools.

Jedediah's Early Life and Amazing Skills

Jedediah Buxton was born in 1707. His father was a schoolmaster in Elmton, and his grandfather had been a vicar (a type of priest). However, Jedediah himself never learned to read or write.

He knew almost everything about numbers, but not much else. He didn't remember how he became so good with numbers. He often only paid attention to things if they involved numbers. For example, after listening to a church talk, he only remembered how many words the speaker said, not what the talk was about!

Measuring Land with His Mind

Jedediah could measure huge areas of land just by walking across them. He measured the lands of Elmton, which was thousands of acres big. He could tell you the size not just in acres, but also in tiny square inches. He even figured out the size in "square hairs'-breadths," which is an incredibly small measurement!

His Incredible Memory for Numbers

His memory was so amazing that he could stop a math problem, come back to it months later, and pick up exactly where he left off. Because he spent all his time on numbers, he didn't learn much else.

One amazing example of his math skills was when he calculated the result of a farthing (a very small coin) doubled 139 times. The answer was a huge number with 39 digits! He even multiplied this enormous number by itself. Jedediah made up his own names for very large numbers. He called a "tribe" the cube of a million.

Jedediah's Trip to London

Engraving of Buxton's examination by the Royal Society.

In 1754, Jedediah's amazing math skills were tested by the Royal Society in London. He walked all the way to London for this test. The Royal Society was impressed and gave him a nice gift.

During his visit to London, he went to see a play called Richard III at the Drury Lane theatre. But instead of watching the story, he spent his time counting the words spoken by the actor David Garrick. He also counted the steps of the dancers. He said that the many sounds from the musical instruments confused him a lot.

More About Jedediah

A story about Jedediah appeared in a magazine called the Gentleman's Magazine in June 1754. This story said he was 49 years old, which would mean he was born in 1705. However, other records suggest he was born in 1707.

You can see a picture of Jedediah Buxton online at the New York Library. There is also a painting of him from 1764 by Miss Maria Hartley in Elmton Church.

Jedediah Buxton's father, William Buxton, was a farmer and also the schoolmaster in Elmton. The Vicar of Elmton, John Davenport, was not Jedediah's biological grandfather. He was the second husband of Jedediah's grandmother, Ann.

In 2011, a special blue plaque was put up in Jedediah's honor in Elmton. This happened after people voted for it.

A blue plaque in Elmton honoring Jedediah Buxton.