Henry Billingsley

Sir Henry Billingsley († November 22, 1606 ) was a wealthy English merchant, mayor of London, and author of the first English translation of the Elements of Euclid ( 1570).

He was the son of the merchant Sir William Billingsley. In 1551 he was admitted as Lady Margaret scholar at St John's College, University of Cambridge and is said to have studied at Oxford, where he was also a student of David Whyteman interest in mathematics. He did not graduate, went on a Herrenaustatter ( Haberdasher ) in the doctrine came in 1560 in the guild and was in London a wealthy merchant. In 1584 he was sheriff in London, 1585 Alderman of the Tower Guard and 1596 Mayor (Lord Mayor ). From 1589 he was one of four tax collectors of the port of London ( Queen's Customer). In 1603 he became a member of Parliament.

His translation of Euclid was an extensive (928 pages) folio volume, which was very well illustrated with drawings, which went so far that there were pieces of paper glued on the appropriate pages into three-dimensional polyhedra to create this three-dimensional. It was printed by John Day and provided with a detailed preface by John Dee (which also independently obtained in the history of mathematics as then popular in England Introduction to the Mathematics of the meaning) and contained not only the translation of the commentary of Proclus, but also others such as the by Dee himself for the last books of the elements. Maybe he was assisted in the translation by his old tutor David Whyteman.

In 1591 he donated three scholarships for poorer students at St John's College, Cambridge.

In 1597 he was knighted. He was married five times.