William Hales
Encyclopedia
William Hales was an Irish clergyman and scientific writer.
He was born in Cork
, Ireland, the son of Samuel Hales, the curate at the cathedral church there.
He went to Trinity College, Dublin
in 1764 and became a fellow there, graduating with a BA and DD. He later became professor of oriental languages in the university. In 1778 he published Sonorum doctrina rationalis et experimentalis a study, based on experiments, of Newton's theory of sounds. In 1782 he published De motibus planetarum dissertatio, another study of Newtonian theory, this time on the motions of the planets in eccentric orbits. In 1788 he had printed at his own expense Analysis aequationum, a mathematical text for which he was complimented by Joseph Louis Lagrange
.
In 1788 Hales resigned as professor and became rector of Killashandra, county Cavan, and lived there for the rest of his life. In 1791 he married and he and his wife had two sons and two daughters. In 1798 he obtained government troops to regain control of the country round Killashandra, following the landing by a French army at Killala
. From about 1812 was chancellor of the diocese of Emly
.
His best-known work is A New Analysis of Chronology, which took twenty years to complete and was finally published in three volumes (1809 - 1812). In this book, which deals with the chronology of the whole Bible, Hales made it his rule as far as possible to use original sources. His other works include The Inspector, or, Select Literary Intelligence for the Vulgar and Irish Pursuits of Literature (both 1799), Methodism Inspected (1803–5), and Letters on the Tenets of the Romish Hierarchy (1813). From about 1820 or earlier he suffered from depression. He died in 1831.
He was born in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland, the son of Samuel Hales, the curate at the cathedral church there.
He went to Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in 1764 and became a fellow there, graduating with a BA and DD. He later became professor of oriental languages in the university. In 1778 he published Sonorum doctrina rationalis et experimentalis a study, based on experiments, of Newton's theory of sounds. In 1782 he published De motibus planetarum dissertatio, another study of Newtonian theory, this time on the motions of the planets in eccentric orbits. In 1788 he had printed at his own expense Analysis aequationum, a mathematical text for which he was complimented by Joseph Louis Lagrange
Joseph Louis Lagrange
Joseph-Louis Lagrange , born Giuseppe Lodovico Lagrangia, was a mathematician and astronomer, who was born in Turin, Piedmont, lived part of his life in Prussia and part in France, making significant contributions to all fields of analysis, to number theory, and to classical and celestial mechanics...
.
In 1788 Hales resigned as professor and became rector of Killashandra, county Cavan, and lived there for the rest of his life. In 1791 he married and he and his wife had two sons and two daughters. In 1798 he obtained government troops to regain control of the country round Killashandra, following the landing by a French army at Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
. From about 1812 was chancellor of the diocese of Emly
Emly
Emly or Emlybeg is a village in South Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Clanwilliam. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly....
.
His best-known work is A New Analysis of Chronology, which took twenty years to complete and was finally published in three volumes (1809 - 1812). In this book, which deals with the chronology of the whole Bible, Hales made it his rule as far as possible to use original sources. His other works include The Inspector, or, Select Literary Intelligence for the Vulgar and Irish Pursuits of Literature (both 1799), Methodism Inspected (1803–5), and Letters on the Tenets of the Romish Hierarchy (1813). From about 1820 or earlier he suffered from depression. He died in 1831.