Richard Norwood facts for kids

Richard Norwood (born around 1590 – died 1675) was a smart English mathematician, diver, and surveyor. People have even called him "Bermuda’s greatest genius of the 1600s"! He was known for his amazing skills in math and for mapping new lands.

Early Life and Bermuda Surveys

Richard Norwood was born about 1590. In 1616, a company called the Somers Isles Company sent him to survey the islands of Bermuda. These islands were also known as the Somers Isles and had just been settled.

Norwood created a detailed map of Bermuda, which was published in London in 1622. This map was very important for understanding the new colony. He later did a second survey of Bermuda in 1662.

Teaching and Measuring the Earth

In 1623, Norwood got land in Virginia, but it seems he never went there. He lived in Bermuda for some time. However, he also spent many years in London, from before 1630 until 1640. In London, he worked as a math teacher near Tower Hill.

Norwood is also believed to have started Bermuda's oldest school, Warwick Academy, in 1662. This shows his dedication to education.

One of Norwood's most famous achievements was measuring the distance between London and York. Between 1633 and 1635, he carefully measured this distance. He used both a chain and his own steps, correcting for all the twists, turns, and hills along the way.

He also used the sun's position to figure out the difference in latitude between the two cities. Latitude tells you how far north or south a place is. By combining these measurements, he calculated the length of one degree of the Earth's meridian. The meridian is an imaginary line that goes around the Earth from pole to pole.

His measurement was very close to the actual length, only about 600 yards too long. At the time, it was the most accurate measurement made in England. Even the famous scientist Isaac Newton mentioned Norwood's work in his important book, Principia Mathematica.

Later Years and Family

During the English Civil War, Norwood seemed to live in Bermuda. There, he had a special job from the government as a schoolmaster. He visited England again in 1667.

Richard Norwood passed away in Bermuda in October 1675. He was about 85 years old and was buried there.

Published Works

Richard Norwood wrote several important books on math and other topics:

• Trigonometrie, or the Doctrine of Triangles (1631): This book was about trigonometry, which is a branch of math dealing with triangles.
• The Seaman's Practice (1637): Published in London, this book was likely helpful for sailors.
• Fortification, or Architecture Military (1639): This work probably covered how to build defenses.
• Truth gloriously appearing (1645)
• Considerations tending to remove the Present Differences (1646)
• Norwood's Epitomy, being the Application of the Doctrine of Triangles (1667): Another book about applying trigonometry.

Family Life

In 1622, Richard Norwood married Rachel Boughton in London. Rachel was the daughter of Francis Boughton from Sandwich, Kent. They had a son named Matthew. Matthew later became a ship captain and carried supplies to Bermuda between 1672 and 1674.