Alfred Hiley

Continuing the series of posts about notable Hileys...

This post features Alfred Hiley, a Clergyman, Mathematics teacher and writer of text books.

Alfred was born in Leeds in 1831. He took a degree in Maths at St John's College, Cambridge from 1857-60. He was ordained in 1860 and became Curate at Boston Spa, near Wetherby in Yorkshire.

In 1863 Alfred became Curate to his brother Richard William Hiley, the vicar at Wighill, and also took charge of the Mathematics department at Thorp Arch Grange school. This school had been founded in 1855 by Alfred's father, Richard Hiley, and was taken over by Richard William in 1861. From 1886 to 1910 Alfred was Vicar at the nearby church of St Peter's, Walton.

Alfred died in 1911 and was buried in the churchyard at Thorp Arch.  The inscription on his gravestone ends with the words: 'The kindest of brothers'.

Alfred Hiley

Alfred wrote a number of Mathematics text books, including:

Explanatory mensuration for the use of schools

Recapitulatory examples in Arithmetic

Key to Hiley's arithmetical companion, mensuration and book-keeping

Pages from two of his books are shown below.

From: Recapitulatory Examples in Arithmetic

From: Explanatory Mensuration for the use of schools

Alfred's brother Richard William wrote in his book 'Memories of Half a Century', published in 1899:

Perhaps ours is the only instance of two brothers co-operating in a private school, and vicars of two adjoining parishes.

Never did two brothers work on more harmoniously.........my brother proved the most unselfish and generous of men.....

Future posts will describe the lives of Alfred's father and brother.