Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Hayward, Robert Baldwin

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1525559Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement, Volume 2 — Hayward, Robert Baldwin1912T. E. James

HAYWARD, ROBERT BALDWIN (1829–1903), mathematician, born on 7 March 1829, at Bocking, Essex, was son of Robert Hayward by his wife Ann Baldwin. The father, of an old Quaker family, withdrew from the Quaker community on his marriage. Educated at University College, London, Robert Baldwin entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1846, graduating as fourth wrangler in 1850. He was fellow from 30 March 1852 till 27 March 1860, and from 1852 till 1855 assistant tutor. From 1855 he was mathematical tutor and reader in natural philosophy at Durham University, leaving in 1859 to become a mathematical master at Harrow School. Hayward remained at Harrow till 1893, a period of thirty-four years. He improved the system of arithmetical teaching there, and ably advocated better methods. He was president (1878–89) of the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching (afterwards the Mathematical Association), and published in 1895 a pamphlet, ‘Hints on teaching Arithmetic.’ He was author of a text-book on ‘Elementary Solid Geometry’ (1890) and ‘The Algebra of Coplanar Vectors and Trigonometry’ (1899). In pure mathematics he made many researches, and published numerous papers in the ‘Transactions’ of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and the ‘Quarterly Journal of Mathematics.’ He was elected F.R.S. on 1 June 1876.

Hayward, whose interests were varied, was a capable mountain climber and an original member of the Alpine Club from its foundation in 1858, withdrawing in 1865. To the ‘Nineteenth Century’ (Feb. 1884) he contributed an article on ‘Proportional Representation’ which attracted notice He died at Shanklin, Isle of Wight, on 2 Feb. 1903. He married in 1860 Marianne, daughter of Henry Rowe, of Cambridge; his wife's sister married Henry William Watson [q. v. Suppl. II]. He had issue two sons and four daughters.

[Proc. Roy. See. vol. lxxv.; Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. vol. xxxv.; Roy. Soc. Cat.]

T. E. J.