Andrew Ellicott

Born: 24 January 1754

Died: August 29, 1820 at West Point, age 67.

Biography of Ellicott

Genealogy:

 

 


A picture of its [i.e., West Point's] inner life is revealed in a letter written in 1815 by Andrew Ellicott, the Professor of Mathematics, to the Secretary of War, in which he states:
Until I came here the Academy was abandoned by the Professors and a great part of the students from the first of December until the first of April following every year. This practice I immediately put to a stop, and kept the Academy open two winters, not even excluding Sundays, without the aid of any other Professor or regular assistant. The winter before last, I kept together more than twenty students, 16 of whom were commissioned last July, and last winter more than 80, some of whom would do credit to any country or nation, and will be found among our future rulers. These extra services are not ideal --- they are substantial.
Although Professor Ellicott rather emphasizes his assiduity in his application for extra compensation we must be grateful, at least, for the glimpse he gives us of the state of affairs in 1815.

[Quoted from Richardson 1917, pp. 22-23.]


The Ellicott Stone. 

A picture of Andrew Ellicott. 

Three letters to his wife. 

 

ARCHIVES:

There is a 128 page typescript biographical study of Ellicott in the Haverford College Library (about 10 miles from Philadelphia) in the Isaac Sharpless Papers, 1876-1987.  A possible local contact is Jeff Tecosky-Feldman who teaches "Calculus: Concepts and History" in the Mathematics Departement. I visited Haverford College on 10 November 2004, examined this manuscript, and made a few notes. I also ordered a photocopy of the whole manuscript.

 

REFERENCES:

Bedini, Silvio A., "Andrew Ellicott, surveyor of the wilderness," Surveying and mapping: quarterly publication of American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ISSN  0039-6273), 36, no. 2 (June 1976), 113-135. [In USMA library]


Evans, Charles Worthington, 1812-1889, American family history : Fox, Ellicott, Evans / Charles Worthington Evans, Martha Ellicott Tyson, G. Hunter Bartlett ; foreword, Silvio A. Bedini ; editors, Harry Lee Hoffman, Jr., Charlotte Feast Hoffman, Cockeysville, Md. : Fox, Ellicott, Evans Fund, c1976, Bicentennial ed.  MATH DEPT-THAYER, CS71.F79 1976b.

Bartlett edited Church's Descriptive Geometry in 1911. What is his USMA connection? He was not a grad. 


Mathews, Catharine Van Cortlandt, Andrew Ellicott, his life and letters, New York, Grafton Press [c1908], USMA:  F106 .E46.  Originally published in 1908. A paperback reprint of this work (ISBN 1-56664-111-X) has been reviewed by Patrick Toscano.

 

PUBLICATIONS OF ANDREW ELLICOTT:

 

 

"A Letter to Robert Patterson," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 4 (1799): 32-51.

"An Account of the Apparatus used on the Boundary between the United States and His Catholic Majesty," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 5 (1802): 204-208.

 

 

The following are available in JSTOR:

16.
"Extract of a Letter from Andrew Ellicott, to David Rittenhouse, Esq. Dated at Pittsburg, November 5th 1787, Containing Observations Made at Lake-Erie, on That Singular Phenomenon, by Seamen Termed Looming," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 3. (1793), pp. 62-63.
 
15.
"Accurate Determination of the Right Ascension and Declination of b Bootes, and the Pole Star: In a Letter from Mr. Andrew Ellicott to Mr. R. Patterson," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 3. (1793), pp. 116-118.
 
12.
"A Letter from Mr. Andrew Ellicott, to Robert Patterson; In Two Parts. Part First Contains a Number of Astronomical Observations. Part Second Contains the Theory and Method of Calculating the Aberration of the Stars, the Nutation of the Earth's Axis, and the Semiannual Equation," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 4. (1799), pp. 32-66.
 
11.
"A Letter from Mr. Andrew Ellicott, to Mr. Robert Patterson. A Method of Calculating the Eccentric Anomaly of the Planets," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 4. (1799), pp. 67-69.
 
13.
"Miscellaneous Observations Relative to the Western Parts of Pennsylvania, Particularly Those in the Neighbourhood of Lake Erie," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 4. (1799), pp. 224-230.
 
14.
"Observations Made on the Old French Landing at Presqu' Isle, to Determine the Latitude of the Town of Erie. In a Letter from Andrew Ellicott, to Robert Patterson Secretary of the Society," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 4. (1799), pp. 231-232.
 
9.
"Astronomical, and Thermometrical Observations, Made at the Confluence of the Mississippi, and Ohio Rivers," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 5. (1802), pp. 162-202.
 
10.
"Astronomical, and Thermometrical Observations, Made on the Boundary between the United States and His Catholic Majesty," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 5. (1802), pp. 203-311.
 
2.
"A Short and Easy Rule for Finding the Equation for the Change of the Sun's Declination When Equal Altitudes Are Used to Regulate a Clock or Other Time Keeper. Communicated by Andrew Ellicott Esq." (in Part I), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 26-28.
 
6.
"Improved Method of Projecting and Measuring Plane Angles by Mr. Robert Patterson Communicated by Mr. Andrew Ellicott" (in Part I), Robert Patterson and Andrew Ellicott, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 29-32.
 
3.
"Astronomical Observations Made at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Chiefly with a View to Ascertain the Longitude of That Borough, and as a Test of the Accuracy with Which the Longitude May Be Found by Lunar Observation; In a Letter from Andrew Ellicott to Robert Patterson" (in Part I), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 61-69.
 
4.
"Continuation of Astronomical Observations, Made at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In a Letter from Andrew Ellicott, Esq. to R. Patterson" (in Part I), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 113-119.
 
8.
"The Geographical Position of Sundry Places in North America, and in the W. Indies, Calculated by J. J. de Ferrer" (in Part II), Jose Joaquin de Ferrer, Andrew Ellicott, Julian Ortis de Canelas and M. Mechain, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 221-232.
 
5.
"Continuation of the Astronomical Observations Made at Lancaster, in Pennsylvania" (in Part II), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 233-235.
 
7.
"Observations of the Eclipse of the Sun, June 16th, 1806; Made at Lancaster" (in Part II), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 6. (1809), pp. 255-260.
1.
"Astronomical Observations, &c. Communicated by Andrew Ellicott, Esq.," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Ser., Vol. 1. (1818), pp. 93-101.

 

 

The Journal of Andrew Ellicott, Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1962. USMA F213 .E48.

 
The following was found at www.bibliofind.com in May 2000:

Ellicott, Andrew. : Journal of Andrew Ellicott, ; late commissioner of behalf of
      the United States during part of the year 1796, the years 1797, 1798, 1799, and part
      of 1800: for determining the boundary between the United States and the possessions
      of His Catholic Majesty in America, containing occasional remarks on the situation,
      soil, rivers, natural productions, and diseases of the different countries on the Ohio,
      Mississippi, and Gulf of Mexico, with six maps comprehending the Ohio, the
      Mississippi from the mouth of the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico, the whole of West
      Florida, and part of East Florida. To which is added an Appendix,... with maps of the
      boundary on a large scale... William Fry,. Philadelphia. 1814. Quarto. [viii],300
      (mis-numbered 299),151 pp. 14 fold. maps and plates. Later nineteenth century half
      calf, marbled sides and end sheets, marbled edges. Rebacked, all maps deacidified,
      title remargined, may lack errata leaf. Perforated stamp of the Shreve Memorial
      Library. The preface is on a better grade of laid paper than the contents which are
      browned. Second edition. Howes E94. Ellicott was professor of mathematics at
      West Point when he died in 1820. He left his library to the Military Academy and
      many of his more important books are still there. He was also an early opponent of
      slavery. A distinguished American survey. (Bkinv#03621)   Offered for sale by
      Murray Hudson Antiquarian Books, Maps & Globes at US$4000.00

This is in the USMA library:   SPECIAL COLL-FL 4    F213 .E47