My Life and Mathematics

Abstract

I was born in Appleby, a small county town in the north of England, on November 14th, 1929. I had two older brothers and was to have one younger sister. My family moved around the north of England as my father’s work in an insurance company required. My secondary education was at Sir John Deane’s Grammar School in Northwich, Cheshire, to age 16. Then it was completed at the Collegiate School, Liverpool, from 1946 to 1948. At school my first loves were art and mathematics. After an unsuccessful year in the School of Architecture of Liverpool University, I joined the honours mathematics program in the same university. Although I won scholarships, there was some financial insecurity and, at the time of this change of subject, my continued study was made possible by the personal intervention and support of the curate of my parish of West Derby, Liverpool, Rev. E. W. Pugh. I graduated from Liverpool University with an honours degree in Mathematics in 1952. While still an undergraduate I was married to Edna Hutchinson in 1951. We were to have three daughters.