In the grand sweep of computing history, the 19th century is often overshadowed by the dramatic advances of the 20th and 21st. But it was during this era, long before the advent of silicon chips and electronic circuits, that visionary thinkers like Thomas Fowler were sowing the seeds of the digital revolution.
From Humble Beginnings to Intellectual Heights
Thomas Fowler‘s story begins in the market town of Great Torrington, Devon, where he was born in 1777 to Hugh and Elizabeth Fowler. Hugh was a cooper by trade, crafting wooden barrels and casks, and he apprenticed young Thomas in the family business from the age of 13. But Fowler had a restless intellect that could not be contained by the confines of the cooperage.
Fowler‘s formal education was scant, consisting of little more than the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic. But he possessed an insatiable curiosity and a fierce drive for self-improvement. In his spare time, he voraciously consumed mathematical texts like John Ward‘s "Young Mathematician‘s Guide" and Nicholas Saunderson‘s "The Method of Fluxions." As his son Hugh would later write in a biography, Fowler "taught himself far more than he ever learned in school by obsessively reading and rereading" these volumes.
This self-directed scholarship would serve Fowler well throughout his varied career. After brief stints as a fellmonger (dealing in hides and skins) and a printer and bookseller, Fowler turned his talents to finance. By the early 1800s, he was a partner and manager at Messrs Loveband & Co. bank and the treasurer of the Torrington Poor Law Union. It was in these roles that Fowler‘s mathematical acumen and inventive spirit would truly shine.
Binary Breakthroughs and Mechanical Marvels
Confronted with the tedious calculations required to balance accounts and apportion aid to the poor, Fowler drew upon his extensive self-study to devise a novel system of computation. In 1838, he published "Tables for Facilitating Arithmetical Calculations," which introduced the use of binary and balanced ternary numbers to simplify complex operations.
Fowler‘s key insight was that any number could be represented as a sum of powers of 2 (in the binary system) or powers of 3 (in the ternary system). By creating tables of values up to 130,048 in binary and 3,985,807 in ternary, he provided an invaluable tool for his fellow bankers and accountants. As computer historian Eric Swedin notes, "Fowler‘s work on binary and ternary arithmetic anticipated the development of digital computing by more than a century."
But Fowler didn‘t stop at theoretical tables. He soon constructed a physical calculating machine to put his ideas into practice. The device had four main components:
- The first displayed the quotient
- The second showed the divisor
- The third revealed the dividend or product (depending on the operation)
- The fourth was a "carrying apparatus" to simplify the results
Numbers were input using a series of wooden rods, and answers appeared on the display – all hand-crafted by Fowler himself. In essence, it was an early, mechanical calculator that embodied the binary principles that would later drive electronic computers. As Doron Swade, a leading authority on the history of computing, observes:
"Fowler‘s calculating machine, constructed in the 1830s, was a remarkable achievement for its time. Although it relied on mechanical rather than electronic components, it anticipated many of the key features of modern computers, including binary representation and automated computation."
The Thermosiphon and the Perils of Patents
Fowler‘s inventive streak extended beyond the realm of mathematics and finance. In an era when central heating was a luxury, he devised an ingenious system called the thermosiphon to warm homes and businesses. The device used convection to circulate hot air from heated water through a network of pipes, as long as the siphon height was less than atmospheric pressure to maintain balance.
Sadly, like many inventors of his day, Fowler fell victim to the vagaries of the Victorian patent system. Minor alterations to a design could invalidate a patent, and Fowler watched helplessly as imitators copied and profited from his thermosiphon innovation. As his son Hugh lamented, "the thermosiphon was ripped off by countless other inventors and Fowler couldn‘t do a thing about it – effectively robbing him of a great deal of notoriety and profits."
Fowler By The Numbers
- Born: 1777 in Great Torrington, Devon, England
- Died: 1843 at age 66 of "dropsy of the chest" (edema)
- Education: Basic reading, writing, arithmetic; extensive self-study of mathematics
- Occupations: Cooper, fellmonger, printer, bookseller, banker, treasurer, inventor
- Published Works:
- "Tables for Facilitating Arithmetical Calculations" (1838)
- "A Description of the Patent Thermosiphon" (1829)
- Key Inventions:
- Binary and balanced ternary calculation tables (1838)
- Mechanical calculating machine (c. 1830s)
- Thermosiphon central heating system (c. 1828)
- Family: Married Mary Copp in 1813; 11 children (many died young)
A Life Cut Short, A Legacy Assured
Despite his many accomplishments, Thomas Fowler‘s life was marked by personal tragedy. He and his wife Mary had 11 children, but as was all too common in the 19th century, many did not survive to adulthood. Those who did, however, carried on their father‘s legacy of creativity and intellect. Daughter Caroline, for instance, was an accomplished illustrator by the tender age of eight.
Fowler‘s own life was cut short in 1843, when he succumbed to "dropsy of the chest" (edema) at age 66. The condition, often caused by underlying heart or kidney disease, was a common killer in Victorian England. But though his time on earth was brief, Fowler left an indelible mark on the annals of computing history.
As Doron Swade writes in his definitive work "The Cognitive Computer":
"Thomas Fowler‘s contributions to the prehistory of computing were groundbreaking. His binary and ternary calculation tables, and his mechanical calculator, were among the earliest embodiments of the principles that would come to define modern computer science. Fowler‘s story is a testament to the power of curiosity, ingenuity, and self-directed learning."
Conclusion: Fowler‘s Enduring Relevance
In our era of pocket supercomputers and global connectivity, it‘s easy to forget the debt we owe to pioneers like Thomas Fowler. His binary and ternary systems, his mechanical calculator, and even his ill-fated thermosiphon were all mileposts on the long road to the digital age.
But beyond his technical achievements, Fowler‘s life offers enduring lessons for us all. His tireless self-education, his polymathic pursuits, and his indomitable inventive spirit exemplify the best of the human intellect. At a time when formal schooling was the province of the privileged few, Fowler showed that greatness could spring from the humblest of origins.
As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of our rapidly-evolving technological landscape, we would do well to remember the example of Thomas Fowler. His story reminds us that innovation is not the sole province of the Ph.D., but rather the birthright of any curious, determined mind. In an age when the frontiers of knowledge are expanding at a dizzying pace, Fowler‘s autodidactic ethos is more relevant than ever.
So let us celebrate this unsung hero of computing history, and let his legacy inspire us to embrace the power of lifelong learning. For in the end, the true measure of Thomas Fowler‘s genius lies not in his inventions, remarkable though they were, but in his unquenchable thirst for understanding and his unwavering belief in the transformative potential of self-taught knowledge.
