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Exercise Book

1813 (made), 1813 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Francis Hood (b 1799) completed this book of mathmatics theory and exercises when he was thirteen years old. Young Francis was a neat, conscientious scholar; there are few corrections and no ink blots through this book.
In his future career as a tailor, Francis would have found a good grounding in decimal multiplication essential.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Ink on paper
Brief description
Blue paper cover, containing maths exercises, by Francis Hood, Derby, 1813
Physical description
Paperback exercise book with light blue cover. The front is decorated with the inscription 'Francis Hood's Book Derby 1813'.
The words 'Francis Hood's Book' appear again on the inside front cover, filling the whole page.
The rest of the book is comprised of mathematics topics, each with a title, introduction and a number of examples.
The sections are:
- Decimal Fractions and Numeration
- Addition of Decimals
- Subtraction of Decimals
- Multiplication of Decimals
- Contracted Multiplication of Decimals
- Division of Decimals
- Contracted Division of Decimals
- Reduction of Decimals
- Rule of Three Inverse in Decimals

The inside of the back cover features a large flower, drawn with compasses inside five concentric circles. The whole picture is delineated with small black dots.

Dimensions
  • Height: 23cm
  • Width: 18.8cm
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Given by Barbara Jones
Object history
This collection of books belonged to Derby tailor Francis Hood and his children.

Francis was born in Ashbourne, Derby, in 1800. In 1823 he married Susanna Wilson, and they had five children. All their names, apart from the youngest, Susanna, appear on the exercise and copy books. Francis was a successful tailor, and the enterprise grew to be a flourishing family business.

George (born 1827) was a tailor with his father by the age of 14. He died aged only 24.

Elizabeth (born 1830) became a milliner and dressmaker. She married Scottish draper John Train, but was soon widowed, and thereafter is listed is woollen goods trader as well as dressmaker.

Francis (born 1832) moved to Australia, possibly before his twentieth birthday, where he stayed the rest of his life.

Henry (born 1836) was an apprentice in 1851. Ten years later, at the age of 25, he inherited the family business, and by 1881 was employing 6 men and 2 boys. He was married to Elizabeth from Somerset, and they had six children. He was able to retire in his mid-sixties and move to a country house on the proceeds of the business. Soon after, Elizabeth died, but Henry remarried at the age of 72 to a woman 31 years his junior. His second son George (born 1868) continued the Hood dynasty from the 1890s, though the shop in St John Street, Ashbourne, remained ‘Henry Hood & Son’ in 1900.

Susanna (born 1838) never married, and lived with Elizabeth. She was also a dressmaker.

The books were passed down through Henry’s children to the donor’s husband.

Associations
Summary
Francis Hood (b 1799) completed this book of mathmatics theory and exercises when he was thirteen years old. Young Francis was a neat, conscientious scholar; there are few corrections and no ink blots through this book.
In his future career as a tailor, Francis would have found a good grounding in decimal multiplication essential.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
B.277-2012

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Record createdOctober 17, 2012
Record URL
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