Hugh Hamilton, Bishop of Ossory

Hamilton, Hugh, Bishop of Ossory, an eminent mathematician, was born in the County of Dublin, 26th March 1729, and was educated at Trinity College, of which he afterwards became Fellow. In 1758 he published a Treatise on Conic Sections. Wills says: "Dr. Hamilton was the first to deduce the properties of the conic section from the properties of the cone, by demonstrations which were general, unencumbered by lemmas, and proceeding in a more natural and perspicuous order." In 1759 he was appointed Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural Philosophy. From the Vicarage of St. Anne's, Dublin, he was promoted to the Deanery of Armagh. In 1796 he was consecrated Bishop of Clonfert, whence he was translated to Ossory in 1799. He died at Kilkenny, 1st December 1805, aged 76. His works were collected and published by his son. His brother was a judge, Baron Hamilton of Hampton, Balbriggan.

Sources

34. Biographie Générale. 46 vols. Paris, 1855-'66. An interleaved copy, copiously noted by the late Dr. Thomas Fisher, Assistant Librarian of Trinity College, Dublin.

42. Biographical Dictionary: Rev. Hugh J. Rose. 12 vols. London, 1850.

118. Ecclesiae Hiberniae Fasti: Rev. Henry Cotton: Indices by John R. Garstin, M.A. 5 vols. Dublin, 1851-'60.

196. Irishmen, Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished, Rev. James Wills, D.D. 6 vols. or 12 parts. Dublin, 1840-'7.