Stephen Peter Rigaud

Stephen Peter Rigaud (12 August 1774–16 March 1839) FRAS[1] was an English mathematical historian and astronomer.

Stephen Peter Rigaud
Born12 August 1774
Died16 March 1839 (aged 64)
Resting placeSt James, Piccadilly, London
Alma materExeter College, Oxford
The Rigaud children by their uncle John Francis Rigaud, 1778 (Ashmolean Museum)

Rigaud was born into a French Protestant family.[2] His father, Stephen (also known as James Stephen) Rigaud, was Observer at the Kew Observatory, and his uncle was the portrait painter John Francis Rigaud, who painted a portrait of Rigaud, aged four, and his sister Mary Anne.

He was a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford from 1794 to 1810, held the Savilian Chair of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1810 to 1827, and was Savilian Professor of Astronomy from 1827 to 1839.[2] He lived at 21 Richmond Green in Richmond, Surrey (now Richmond, London) from 1815 to 1826.[3]

Published works
  • Historical essay on the first publication of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia (1838)

Death and legacy
AMemorial to Stephen Peter Rigaud in St James's Church, Piccadilly

He died on 16 March 1839 and was buried at St James, Piccadilly, London, where a memorial to him lies in the church. His eldest son, Stephen Jordan Rigaud (1816–1859), was an English clergyman and schoolmaster who became Bishop of Antigua.

Some of his large book collection, concerning astronomy, mathematics and physics, was purchased by the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford. Some of the remaining materials were presented to the Bodleian Library in 1935 and some were sold at auction.[4] This collection at the Bodleian contains 840 books.

References
  1. "1840MNRAS...5...22. Page 22". articles.adsabs.harvard.edu. Bibcode:1840MNRAS...5...22. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  2. "MSS. Rigaud 3-33, 33A, 34-51, 53-7, 60-8 Riguad Papers". Collection Level Description: Savile Collection. Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  3. "Richmond Green: Properties". Richmond Libraries’ Local Studies Collection: Local History Notes. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  4. "Rare Books Named Collection Descriptions". Bodleian Libraries. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
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