assist the advancement of Roman catholic education by accepting the professorship of higher mathematics and mathematical physics in the Catholic University. He was elected a member of the London Mathematical Society on 12 Nov. 1874, a fellow of the Royal Society of London on 3 June 1875, and a member of the Sociéte Scientifique de Bruxelles in 1878. In 1878 the Royal Irish Academy conferred on him a Cunningham gold medal. In 1881 the Norwegian government presented him with Niels Henrik Abel's works.
In 1881 Casey relinquished his post in the Catholic University, and was elected to a fellowship in the Royal University, and to a lectureship in mathematics in University College, Stephen's Green, which he retained until his death. In 1881 he began a series of mathematical class-books, which have a high reputation. He was elected a member of the Société Mathematique de France in 1884, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the Royal University of Ireland in 1885. He died at Dublin on 3 Jan. 1891.
Casey's work was chiefly confined to plane geometry, a subject which he treated with great ability. Professor Cremona speaks with admiration of the elegance and mastery with which he handled diificult and intricate questions. He was largely self-taught, but widened his knowledge by an extensive correspondence with mathematicians in various parts of Europe.
Casey was the author of:
- 'On Cubic Transformations' ('Cunningham Memoirs of the Royal Irish Academy,' No. 1), Dublin, 1880, 4to.
- 'A Sequel to Euclid' (Dublin University Press Series), Dublin, 1881, 8vo; 6th edit, by Patrick A. E. Dowling, 1892.
- 'A Treatise on the Analytical Geometry of the Point, Line, Circle, and Conic Section' (Dublin University Press Series), Dublin, 1885, 8vo; 2nd edit, by Dowling, 1893.
- 'A Treatise on Elementary Trigonometry,' Dublin, 1886, 8vo; 4th edit, by Dowling, 1895.
- 'A Treatise on Plane Trigonometry, containing an Account of Hyperbolic Functions,' Dublin, 1888, 8vo.
- 'A Treatise on Spherical Trigonometry,' Dublin, 1889, 8vo.
He edited 'The First Six Books of Euclid' (Dublin, 1882, 8vo; 11th edit. 1892), and was the author of eighteen mathematical papers between 1861 and 1880, enumerated in the Royal Society's 'Catalogue of Scientific Papers.' From 1862 to 1868 he was one of the editors of the 'Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin Messenger of Mathematics,' and for several years was Dublin correspondent of the 'Jahrbuch Uber die Fortschritte der Mathematik.'
[Proceedings of the Royal Soe. 1891, vol. xlix. pp. xxiv-xxv; information kindly given by J. K. Ingram, esq., LL.D.]
CASS, Sir JOHN (1666–1718), benefactor of the city of London, son of Thomas Cass, carpenter to the royal ordnance, was born in London in 1666, and attained as a city merchant to an influential position and a large income. He built and endowed two schools near St. Botolph's, Aldgate, which were opened in 1710, and on 23 Jan. in that year he became alderman of Portsoken ward. On 25 Nov. 1710 he was returned to parliament for the city in the church and tory interest, and he was re-elected on 12 Nov. 1713. On 25 June 1711 he was elected sheriff, 'to the great joy of the high church party,' and on 12 June 1712, upon the occasion of the city's address to Queen Anne in favour of peace, he was knighted. In spite of his toryism Boyer notes that he voted against Bolingbroke's treaty of commerce in June 1713. Sir John died on 5 July 1718, aged 62. His widow Elizabeth died on 7 July 1732. By his will, dated 6 May 1709, Cass left 1,000l. for a school at Hackney. In 1732 the bequest was greatly enlarged by a decision of the court of chancery in conformity with the intention of an unfinished codicil to the will of 1709. The income from the Cass estates now exceeds 6,000l. per annum. The bulk of this is expended upon an elementary day school, newly erected at Hackney, for boys and girls, numbering about two hundred and fifty, who are partially found in food and clothing, in addition to a technical institute, in connection with which are several exhibitions.
[J. B. Hollingworth's Sermon, with some Account of Sir John Cass, 1817; Beyer's Annals of Queen Anne, 1735, pp. 478, 515, 581, 637; Scheme of Charity Commissioners, ordered to be printed 5 May 1895; notes kindly communicated by Charles Welch, Esq., F.S.A.]
CATES, WILLIAM LEIST READWIN (1821–1895), compiler, eldest son of Robert Cates, solicitor, of Fakenham, Norfolk, and his wife, Mary Ann Readwin, was born at that place on 12 Nov. 1821. He was educated for the law under a private tutor, and after passing his examinations at the London University went to Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. He subsequently removed to Gravesend for about a year, but, failing to establish a practice, took an appointment in 1844 as articled clerk to John Barfield, solicitor, at Thatcham, Berkshire.
His work proving thoroughly uncongenial and irksome to him, he abandoned the profession, first for private tuition, and later on
