Diligently solving arithmetic questions from cover to cover, E. Knight’s flourished initials and neat penmanship make beautiful even the calculation of compound interest in this 18th century manuscript. Brimming with descriptions of the basic principles and rules of arithmetic copied from various sources, including the popular Cocker’s Decimal Arithmetick, this manuscript is one of a pair.
Diligently solving arithmetic questions from cover to cover, E. Knight’s flourished initials and neat penmanship make beautiful even the calculation of compound interest in this 18th century manuscript. Brimming with descriptions of the basic principles and rules of arithmetic copied from various sources, including the popular Cocker’s Decimal Arithmetick, this manuscript is one of a pair. The second volume, Geometry, is not yet available online but will be at some point in the future. The practice questions therein were often practical, such as solving for the amount of gun powder required for a 7 inch diameter gun when the amount needed for a 5 inch diameter gun is known. Mathematics at the time was becoming a necessity for more people, from reducing pounds and shillings to decimals to ensuring the local merchants dealt honestly. Without a structured formal education available many students created their own manuscript workbooks like this one to learn the practical mathematical skills required for daily life.