John Hilton Grace, 1873-1958

Abstract

John Hilton Grace was born on 21 May 1873 at Halewood, a village in South Lancashire not far from Liverpool, the eldest of six children of a farmer. He received his early education at the village school, from which he went on to the Liverpool Institute. Here he came under the influence of an outstanding teacher of mathematics, J. A. Owen (who lived to the advanced age of 103), and in 1892 he entered Peterhouse, Cambridge, with an open Entrance Scholarship. His was a vintage year for Cambridge mathematics; among those who took the Mathematical Tripos in 1895 were six future Fellows of the Royal Society; besides Grace himself these were T. J. I’A. Bromwich, F. W. Carter, B. Hopkinson, E. T. Whittaker (later Sir Edmund Whittaker), and A. Young. Young was to become closely associated with Grace in his later mathematical work. There was intense rivalry, not only between the candidates but between their colleges, for the Senior Wrangler-ship. Grace, Bromwich, and Whittaker were the most fancied candidates, and the element of doubt in Grace’s case was not due to any misgivings regarding his mathematical ability, but because it was thought that his rather unstable way of life might result in his not doing himself justice. At any rate a wag pinned on the door of one of the favourites, who was known to be of a religious turn of mind, the verse ‘Work, as if on that alone Hung the issue of the day, Pray that Grace may be sent down, Work and pray!’ In the event, Bromwich was Senior Wrangler, and Grace and Whittaker were bracketed second. Rumour had it that Grace was in the lead at the end of the penultimate paper, but celebrated a day too soon. Whether this is true or not it is in keeping with the fact that Grace was his own worst enemy, and throughout his life he missed opportunities of achieving the greatness of which he was capable through his intemperate habits.