Napier my ancestral home kilmahew castle, scotland. Sir john napier, eighth laird of merchiston was born in 1550 at merchiston tower, which was then just outside the boundary of the city of edinburgh, capital of scotland, and was known as the marvellous merchiston, a title which was welldeserved, for his genius and imaginative vision encompassed a number of fields. Or, if youre american, or just use the imperial system, 373 feet by 391 feet asked in tower of london. The tower passed in and out of napier hands over five centuries, and in 1833 william napier, the 9th lord. Find all the transport options for your trip from edinburgh to merchiston tower right here.
Mr james hope of belmont, murrayfield, who took a deep interest in church extension, along with mr james adams wenley, treasurer of the bank of scotland, mr john hope finlay, w. His father, sir archibald napier of merchiston castle was a wealthy landowner and his mother, janet bothwell, was a daughter of the politician and judge francis bothwell, lord of session. Scottish history books scottish castles association. Rome2rio makes travelling from edinburgh to merchiston tower easy. Helen armet and stuart harris, the old edinburgh club, 1962. Search the history of over 411 billion web pages on the internet. It has six foot thick walls which rise five floors to the parapet and was the home of the napiers, of whom john napier 15501617 invented logarithms well known to. Hard by merchiston he chances, fortuitously, upon the lawyer, mr.
See each listing for international postage options and costs. Roman forts were built and manned at cramond and inveresk on the western and eastern margins of the presentday city. If you were to choose a top ranking table of world mathematicians then napier would almost certainly feature in it. Book launch at merchiston current merchiston parent carina contini and her husband victor restored an abandoned victorian kitchen garden on the outskirts of the. In addition, merchiston boasts a business incubator, two cafes and a 500seat computing centre, with both mac and pc hardware, that is open roundtheclock in trimesters 1 and 2. Merchiston castle is an impressive old tower house, home to the napiers including john napier who invented logarithms, and now incorporated into the.
He also invented the socalled napiers bones and made. Napier, sometimes spelt neper, was a mathematician and theologian who correctly forecast that the decimal point would revolutionise mathematics, and who wrongly predicted the end of the world. Merchiston tower, also known as merchiston castle, was probably built by alexander napier. John napier is most renowned as the discoverer of the logarithm. The tower in which he was born the tower of merchiston lies at the centre of napier universitys merchiston campus napier university 2001. John napier of merchistoun 1550 4 april 1617, the son of sir archibald napier of merchiston and janet bothwell, was a mathematician, physicist, astrologer and 8th laird of merchistoun. Author unknown, napier polytechnic of edinburgh, no date but thought to be about 1970. Alexander, therefore became, technically, the next laird of merchiston. Through its historic landscape gardens, unique singing tower carillon and magnificent 1930s mediterraneanstyle mansion, the gardens offer unparalleled opportunities for artistic, cultural, personal and spiritual enrichment. Mark napier, in his book history of the partition of the lennox identifies this lady as margaret, citing as evidence a charter dated 11 july 1593 and armorial bearings on a stone from wrychtishousis showing the wrychtishousis and merchiston arms, impaled, with the. John napier mathematician specialty physics, astronomy born 1550 merchiston tower, edinburgh died apr. Merchiston castle was constructed in 1454 by my ancestor, alexander napier. At this point merchiston consisted of one of a number of independently owned estates to the southwest of the burgh muir. John napier was born in the year of 1550 at merchiston tower in the city of edinburgh in scotland.
Merchiston castle tower is located within napier universitys merchiston campus. Pictures, photos, engravings of edinburgh buildings, monuments, gardens and streets. He also invented the socalled napiers bones and made common the use of the. Lateral city apartments, the tower, 7 advocates close. When john napier published his invention of logarithm in 1614 he was announcing one of the greatest advances in the history of mathematics, and log tables were used universally until the mid1970s. A corbelledout parapet has rounds at each corner, and there is a conicalroofed caphouse. Edinburgh to merchiston tower 3 ways to travel via bus. Memoirs of john napier of merchiston, his lineage, life. Mathematics, together with english, the classics and french formed a broad curriculum together with the sciences of which chalmers himself was particularly fond. Restaurants near merchiston castle school in edinburgh. The purpose of this book is to provide a very short, historical account of the life and legacy. To be familiar with the history and the developments of computing devices.
Best castles, towers, historic houses, mansions and stately homes of scotland in the castles of scotland by martin coventry, firth edition, published by goblinshead, a major new book on 4,100 castles, towers, stately home, historic houses and family lands owned by scottish families and clans. John napier was born on 1 february 1550, in merchiston tower, edinburgh, scotland. Cramond tower a derelict property rescued, restored and reoccupied. John napier biography famous people in history, famous. He was the eldest son of archibald napier and janet bothwell. Number of bids and bid amounts may be slightly out of date. Merchiston was a property of the craigies in 67, but passed to the napiers of merchiston, three of whom were lord provosts of edinburgh. The history of the tower of london is the history of england and this is brought to life in this compelling volume. Merchiston castle school in edinburgh have a a small but genuine century castle merchiston tower, in their grounds. John napier john napier frequently signed his name jhone neper, fear of merchiston, but later on we can find his name also as napeir, nepair, nepeir, napare, naper, naipper, neperus, etc. A 15th century tower house for unique selfcatering holidays, with a great hall, fourposter bed, open fire, spiral staircases and parapet walkway, plus modern conveniences. This castle used to be an lshaped tower that rose up to four stories, but after many. Charles chalmers younger brother of dr thomas chalmers, moral philosopher, theologian and. The first known reference to merchiston is found in the 1266 exchequer rolls of scotland.
Three years before the birth of john, in 1547, alexander napier, johns. A history and architectural description of the tower together with information about its restoration. Today, he is best known as the inventor of logarithms. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Media in category merchiston castle the following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total.
This is enhanced by facilities from cuttingedge cyber security labs to tv and film studios. Napier is the inventor of the socalled napiers bones. Merchiston castle castle in edinburgh, midlothian stravaiging. Napiers birthplace, merchiston tower in edinburgh, scotland, is now part of the facilities of edinburgh napier university. It was the home of john napier, the 8th laird of merchiston and the inventor of logarithms, who was born there in 1550. Introduction to information and communication technology ict i. Image from page 287 of the castellated and domestic architecture of scotland, from the twelfth to the eighteenth century 1887 14598557408. The history of st michaels parish church, edinburgh. The tower passed in and out of napier hands over five centuries, and in 1833 william napier, the 9th lord napier, let the castle to charles chalmers, who established merchiston castle school in the building. Merchiston tower castle engravings from book modern athens, published in 1829.
There is a view of merchiston tower in mr mark napiers memoirs of john napier, and in the libri qui supersunt. Scotland now part of napier university buildings merchiston castle school in edinburgh have a a small but genuine 15th century castle merchiston tower, in their grounds. Full text of merchiston castle school register 1833 to 1903. Merchiston castle is an altered strong 15thcentury tower, now lplan, of four storeys and a gabled attic. Liberton tower stay in your own private castle in edinburgh. Sir alexander was slain at flodden in 15, while alexander napier of merchiston was killed at pinkie in 1547. Merchiston castle was probably built around 1454 by alexander napier, the second laird of merchiston, and is most famous for being the birthplace in 1550 of john napier, the discoverer of logarithms, and the 8th laird of merchiston. With his rabdologia, an ingenious calculating tool composed of numbered rods which came to be known as napiers bones, he enabled people in the marketplace to do multiplication sums without. The basement is vaulted and contains a cellar, reached by a narrow stair. Examples of napiers bones, mathematical instruments and other calculating machines. Full text of memoirs of john napier of merchiston, his lineage, life and times, with a history of the invention of logarithms.
A simple and spacious living area in merchiston residences one bedroom apartment. He was the son of sir archibald napier of merchiston. Ives is set, comprised the policies surrounding merchiston tower, once home of mathematician, john napier, and now edinburgh napier university, on. Tower of skulls is the opening volume of what promises to be the definitive history of the asiapacific war, a gripping account of two wars. John napier he also signed as neper, and nepair 1550 4 april 1617 was a scottish landowner, nicknamed marvellous merchiston. Merchiston is also home to the edinburgh napier students association.
Traces of four iron age forts have been identified at arthurs seat, dunsapie crag, salisbury crags and samsons ribs 2nd century ad. One wellknown character of the time, dr richard napier, was cousins to john napier. Alexander napier, 1 st laird of merchiston 641454, son od donald le napper was a scottish landowner and politician who served as lord provost of edinburgh. John napier of merchistoun 1550 4 april 1617 also signed as neper, nepair named marvellous merchiston, was a scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomerastrologer and 8th laird of merchistoun, son of sir archibald napier of merchiston. Merchiston tower, also known as merchiston castle, was probably built by alexander napier, the second laird of merchiston around 1454. Full text of memoirs of john napier of merchiston, his. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. In 1877 the districts of dalry, tynecastle and north merchiston were rapidly growing. Napiers birthplace, merchiston tower in edinburgh, is now part of the. For the main description of the castle, and for the early history of the lands of kilmahew, see the last part of the staircase shown at forms an arch above the small passage shown. His surname appears in many different spellings napeir, nepair, nepeir, neper, napare, naper, naipper but john napier would most commonly have been written jhone neper in his time. Bok tower gardens has offered some of floridas most remarkable experiences to more than 23 million visitors since 1929. John napier was born in merchiston near edinburgh in scotland in 1550.
Scotland, one of them just so happened to be part of my families history. The memorial is based on the first page of napiers book on logarithms. Liberton tower edinburgh scotland your own private. This one by nigel jones is certainly the most comprehensive work i have read on the subject. The battlements of merschiston tower command and extensive view of great interest and beauty. Merchiston castle or merchiston tower in edinburgh university now.
John napier electric scotland is all about the history. Merchiston was a villa suburb by stevensons day, but in 1814 when st. Edinburgh, colinton road, napier university, merchiston castle. The tower was formerly the family home of the napiers of merchiston, including john napier the mathematician who invented logarithms. Merchiston castle napier university edinburgh the castles of.
Early developments in electronic data processing c. The book of the old edinburgh club, volume xxxi, the tower of merchiston. John napier simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It was the home of john napier, the 8th laird of merchiston and the inventor of. A short history of john napier and his legacy a short history of john. College 20th century, school 19th century, tower house 15th century.
John napier author of startling evidence of another form. John napier academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Modern english translations of both napiers books on logarithms. Merchiston tower entrance main entrance, entrance, tower. A small a5 leaflet produced by napier polytechnic as it had become by 1970 describing the tower plus a brief history of john napier of logarithms. Mark napier, in his book history of the partition of the lennox identifies this lady as margaret, citing as evidence a charter dated 11 july 1593 and armorial bearings on a stone from wrychtishousis showing the wrychtishousis and merchiston arms, impaled, with the initials rm and mn and dated 15. After we left, we ended up visiting an old bookstore that had a book about the. His latinized name was ioannes neper john napier is best known as the discoverer of logarithms. This castle used to be an lshaped tower that rose up to four stories, but after many sieges, what remains is in the modern photo below. It is thought that merchiston castle a strong 15th century lplan tower in colinton, edinburgh was built around 1454 by alexander napier, the second laird of merchiston. Merchiston past present scottish castles association.
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