Rev, George Walker. 185 



students, 1774." These theorems have all been elegantly- 

 demonstrated before, in Leyburn's " Mathematical Reposi- 

 tory." ' 



The author of the ' Dissertation ' was the late Rev. 

 John Lawson, B.D. 



The theorems are proved after the manner of Euclid. 



The Rev. George Walker, F.R.S. 



The Rev. George Walker, F.R.S., became President of 

 the Society after Dr. Percival's death. He had great per- 

 sonal influence. He was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in 

 1735, was educated at Durham, acted as minister to a small 

 dissenting congregation there, and afterwards at Yarmouth, 

 then went as mathematical teacher to the Warrington 

 Academy in 1 772. He was famed at the time for his treatise 

 on the sphere ; but honour for a time found in all his places 

 very little payment — at Durham less than fifty pounds per 

 annum. He then went as minister to a congregation at 

 High Pavement, Nottingham, in 1794. 



His importance latterly increased in the region of 

 politics ; his collection of evidence showing the wasteful 

 expenditure of the war, and of the general administration 

 during the American war, was a powerful engine in raising 

 up friends of Parliamentary reform, and his * Dissenter's 

 Plea ' was in a similar direction said by Fox and others to 

 be the best utterance on the subject. 



He wrote, according to the desire of a number of 

 Priestley's admirers, an address of sympathy with that 

 philosopher, and many ministers signed it. He also drew 

 up a petition in favour of Parliamentary reform, which was 

 signed by three thousand persons, and presented to Par- 

 liament in 1793 by Mr. Grey. 



