George Tollet

Who was George Tollet?

George Tollet was a mathematician and naval administrator.

He was born in Dublin, the son of Thomas Tollet of London and educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He then moved with his brother Cooke to the Isle of Man for a time as debt exiles.

In 1685 he was also a founder member and treasurer of the Dublin Philosophical Society, where he presented many papers and experiments, concentrating on applied mathematics.

Tollet held various government posts, mainly in Ireland, before being appointed Extra Commissioner of the Navy in 1702, a sinecure post which however offered an opportunity to move into the Tower of London until 1714. He was also Second Master at Westminster School from 1711 to 1714. He became acquainted with many members of the Royal Society, including Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley as well as literary figures such as Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1713.

Tollet was interested in education; in 1685 William Molyneux, a member of the Dublin society wrote to Halley in London mentioning an eleven-year old girl that he had trained in arithmentic, algebra, geometry and trigonometry.