Nathaniel Nye facts for kids
Nathaniel Nye was an English expert who lived a long time ago, in the 1600s. He was born around 1624. He was very smart and worked as a mathematician, which means he was good with numbers and solving math problems. He was also an astronomer, someone who studies stars and planets. Plus, he was a cartographer, meaning he made maps, and a skilled gunner, who knew a lot about cannons and firearms.
Contents
Early Life and Almanacs
Nathaniel Nye was baptised, or officially welcomed into the church, on April 18, 1624. This happened in a town called Birmingham, in a church named St Martin in the Bull Ring. His father might have been in charge of the local King Edward's School.
When he was just 17, in 1640, Nathaniel Nye might have published his first almanac. An almanac is like a yearly calendar and guide. It often includes information about the weather, moon phases, and other useful facts for the year ahead.
Publishing His Work
In 1642, Nye published a new almanac. Its full title was A New Almanacke and Prognostication calculated exactly for the faire and populous Towne of Birmicham in Warwickshire, where the Pole is elevated above the Horizon 52 degrees and 38 minutes, and may serve for any part of this Kingdome.
- In this book, he called himself a "Practitioner of Astronomy." This means he actively worked with and studied the stars.
- He published another almanac in 1643. In this one, he was called a "Mathematitian, Practitioner of Astronomy."
- Two more almanacs followed in 1645.
Military Career and The Art of Gunnery
Nathaniel Nye became very interested in guns. At the time, Birmingham was famous for making weapons, especially during the English Civil War. This was a big conflict in England between 1642 and 1651.
Working with Cannons
Nye tested a cannon made in Birmingham in 1643. He also experimented with a type of cannon called a saker in 1645. From 1645, he became the main gunner for the Parliamentarian army. This army fought against the King during the Civil War. He was stationed at a place called Evesham.
In 1646, Nye successfully led the cannons during the Siege of Worcester. A siege is when an army surrounds a city or castle to try and capture it.
His Famous Book
Nathaniel Nye wrote a book in 1647 called The Art of Gunnery. In this book, he shared his experiences and knowledge about using cannons. He believed that war was not just about fighting, but also about science.
- He explained how important triangulation was. This is a math method used to find distances or positions.
- He also wrote about arithmetic (basic math), theoretical mathematics, and cartography (map-making).
- His book also covered practical things. For example, he wrote about the best way to make gunpowder and slow matches. Slow matches were ropes that burned slowly to light cannons.
Nye mentioned other mathematicians like Robert Recorde and Marcus Jordanus. He also learned from earlier military writers like Niccolò Tartaglia and Thomas Malthus.
Later Life
We don't know much about Nathaniel Nye's life after 1647. However, his important book, The Art of Gunnery, was printed again in 1648 and 1670. This shows that his work was still valued for many years after he wrote it.
