Robins, Benjamin
ROBINS, BENJAMIN (1707-1751), English man of science and engineer, was born at Bath in 1707. His parents were Quakers in poor circumstances, and gave him very little education. Having come to London by the advice of Dr Henry Pemberton (1694-1771), who had recognized his talents, he for a time maintained himself by 'teaching mathematics, but soon devoted himself to engineering and the study of fortification. In particular he carried out an extensive series of experiments in gunnery, embodying his results in his famous treatise on New Principles in Gunnery (1742), which contains a description of his ballistic pendulum (see CHRONOGRAPH). Robins also made a number of important experiments on the resistance of the air to the motion of projectiles, and on the force of gunpowder, with computation of the velocities thereby communicated to projectiles. He compared the results of his theory with experimental determinations of the ranges of mortars and cannon, and gave practical maxims for the management of artillery. He also made observations on the flight of rockets, and wrote on the advantages of rifled barrels. His work on gunnery was translated into German by L. Euler, who added to it a critical commentary of his own. Of less interest nowadays are Robins's more purely mathematical writings, such as his Discourse concerning the Nature and Certainty of Sir Isaac Newton's Methods of Fluxions and of Prime and Ultimate Ratios (1735), " A Demonstration of the Eleventh Proposition of Sir Isaac Newton's Treatise of Quadratures " (Phil. Trans., 1727), and similar works. Besides his scientific labours Robins took an active part in politics. He wrote pamphlets in support of the opposition to Sir Robert Walpole, and was secretary of a committee appointed by the House of Commons to inquire into the conduct of that minister. He also wrote a preface to the Report on the Proceedings of the Board of General Officers on their Examination into the Conduct of Lieut enant-General Sir John Cope, in which he gave an apology for the battle of Prestonpans. In 1749 he was appointed engineer-general to the East India Company, and went out to superintend the reconstruction of their forts; but his health soon failed, and he died at Fort St David on the 2gth of July His works were published in two volumes in 1761.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
