subsequently went to Mr. Daniell's school at Islington for a year and 

 a half, where he came under Mr. Uownes. Thence to London Uni- 

 versity for five months, and in 1829, being then fifteen years of age, 

 he was sent to Liverpool. During this time Dr. Gregory kept up 

 his interest in the boy, for, in March, 1827, he wrote to his father 

 " Pray have the goodness to drop me a line so soon as your son 

 returns home that I may endeavour to fix a day in which I may 

 have the pleasure of seeing him here, and tracing his progress since 

 I saw him before." 



At about this period he was for a short time a pupil of De Morgan. 

 At Liverpool he went to the Royal Institution,* which had itself 

 been founded in 1814, and its school in 1819. He lived with his 

 aunts, who had a school in Duke Street almost opposite Colquill 

 Street at the corner of Cornwallis Street, the house then commonly 

 known as " Morrell's Folly." One of his aunts was married to Elias 

 Moxley, one of three brothers who represented Barnard's Bank in 

 Lord Street. It appears from the school records that at a meeting 

 of proprietors on the 12th February, 1830, Thomas Langton, Esq., 

 president, Sylvester was awarded the prize in the second class as the 

 result of the examination after the winter vacation. Other prize 

 winners were William Robertson. Sandbach, George Hancox, and 

 Murray Gladstone. In regard to the mathematical prize secured by 

 Sylvester, it is stated " In the Mathematical School one of the- 

 students, who had previous to entering it attained considerable pro- 

 ficiency, was so far advanced before the other scholars that he could 

 not be included in any class ; the first prize has without competition 

 been awarded to him." At the presentation of prizes, Mr. Langton 

 addressed him in the following words : " In presenting to you, 

 James Sylvester, the youngest of the successful students, the first 

 prize for mathematical progress, let me caution you not to look upon 

 it as an occasion of triumph ; in receiving it you are giving a pledge 

 of your future diligence in the improvement of those natural abilities 

 with which a kind Providence has blessed you." The pupils of the 

 school numbered but thirty. The Rev. T. W. Peile, B.A., Fellow 

 of Trinity College, Cambridge (afterwards head master of Repton), 

 was head master; William Moore, B.A., of Trinity College, Dublin,, 

 second master ; and Mr. Marratt, mathematical master. 



Few now remain who were with him at this school. Of these Sir 

 William Leece Drinkwater, until quite recently first deemster, Isle of 

 Man, perhaps knew him best, and I am indebted for many particulars 

 to a letter which he has been good enough to write me. It does not 



* Mr. John Forslmw, who went to the school shortly after Sylvester left, writes- 

 that the Mechanics' Institution, originally founded in 1825, has since been trans- 

 formed into the Liverpool Institute, which must not be confused with the Liver- 

 pool Royal Institution standing about a quarter of a mile away in Colquill Street. 



