He thought that he might be able to teach others.
Everybody liked him, for his diligence, his application, and his
good sense. At the age of seventeen he was employed to teach the
sons of the neighbouring farmers. He succeeded so well that in
the following year he opened a village school at Beilby. He went
on educating himself, and learnt a little of everything. He next
removed his school to Kirpenbeck, near Stamford Bridge; and it
was there," proceeded Mrs. Cooke, "that I got to know him, for I
was one of his pupils."
"He first learned mathematics by buying an old volume at a
bookstall, with a spare shilling. That was before he began to
teach. He also got odd sheets, and read other books about
geometry and mathematics, before he could buy them; for he had
very little to spare. He studied and learnt as much as he could.
He was very anxious to get an insight into knowledge. He studied
optics before he had any teaching. Then he tried to turn his
knowledge to account. While at Kirpenbeck he made his first
object-glass out of a thick tumbler bottom. He ground the glass
cleverly by hand; then he got a piece of tin and soldered it
together, and mounted the object-glass in it so as to form a
telescope.
"He next got a situation at the Rev. Mr. Shapkley's school in
Micklegate, York, where he taught mathematics. He also taught in
ladies' schools in the city, and did what he could to make a
little income.
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