John Hellins FRS (ca. 1749 – 5 April 1827) was an autodidact, schoolteacher, mathematician, astronomer and country parson.[2]
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He was born in Devon ca. 1749, the son of a poor family, and the parish apprenticed him to a cooper.[3]
He became a schoolteacher and through hard work and patronage became assistant to Nevil Maskelyne, the Astronomer Royal in 1773 [4].
He went on to become a clergyman, serving as a curate at Constantine, Kerrier (1779–83) and afterwards at Greens Norton, near Towcester. In 1789 he was entered as a 'ten-year man' at Trinity College, Cambridge, and eventually graduated BD in 1800.[5] In 1790 he was presented to the vicarage of Potterspury in Northamptonshire. On 10 November 1794 he married Anne Brock of North Tawton.[3] He founded the village school in Potterspury: today the John Hellins Primary School bears his name.[6].
His mathematician and astronomical learning was noted. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1796. Two years later (1798), he was awarded the Copley Medal largely for his paper on computing the perturbations of planets.[3]
He supervised the translation from Italian of the Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della gioventù italiana) by Maria Gaetana Agnesi, which was published in 1801 by Taylor and Wilks, London as Analytical Institutions in Four Books[7]
The Gentleman's Magazine 1828,[8] prints in full the eulogy on Hellins's life and achievements, given at a meeting of the Royal Society, by Davies Gilbert, its President:
One of those extraordinary men, who, deprived of early advantages, have elevated themselves, by the force of genius of industry, to a level above most persons blessed with regular education. ...
In 1787, he edited The Young Algebracist's Companion. In 1788, he published Mathematical Essays, on several subjects and in 1802 in two volumes, The Analytical Institutions, originally written in Italian, by Donna Maria Gaetana [Translated from the Italian by Mr. Colson.]
Having adopted the clerical profession, Mr. Hellins was for some time curate of Constantine in Cornwall and, afterwards, of Greens Norton, Northamptonshire, but in 1790 he was presented by the Earl Bathurst to the vicarage of Potterspury in Northamptonshire. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1796, and in 1800 took the degree of B.D. at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Mr. Hellins, at one time, computed the Nautical Almanac. He afterwards assisted at Greenwich and, what is now perhaps almost unknown, furnished the late Mr. Windham [9] with all the calculations and tables on which that gentleman brought forward his new military system, as Minister of War, in 1806.
Mr. Hellins applied himself with great industry to some of the useful branches of pure mathematics. No less than nine communications from him appear in our Transactions:
And in 1798,
For the last he was honoured with your Copley Medal.
Retired to a small living in Northamptonshire, Mr. Hellins became a pattern of philosophical calm and content.
“Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife. His sober wishes never learned to stray.”
He seems to have said:
“Curtatis decimis, modicoque beatus agello, Vitam secrete in rure quietus agam.”
I have known Mr. Hellins for above forty years, and I can testify to his virtues. It once happened that, through the late Dr. Maskelyne, I had nearly obtained for him the Observatory at Dublin. The failure cannot, however, be lamented, since Brinkley was appointed in his stead.
Mr. Hellins also occasionally furnished Mathematical articles to the British Critic [10], from the year 1795 to 1814. The most remarkable of these are those:
When the first series of the British Critic closed [13], the connection of Mr. Hellins with the work is supposed to have ceased. Several minor articles, on scientific subjects, were written by him, which are not here specified.
He married Miss Brock, a Devonshire lady, who survived him but a short time, and by whom he hath left an only son.
He died in Potterspury 5 April 1827, leaving one son by his wife Anne.[3] In the North Aisle of the parish church of St. Nicholas is a small tablet of white marble, inscribed:
" In Memory of The REVD. JOHN HELLINS, B.D. & F.R.S./ upwards of 36 years Vicar of this parish, who died April 5th 1827/ aged 78 years./ of ANNE HELLINS his widow, who died June 3rd 1827. Aged 72.[14][15]