Florence Yeldham

Florence Annie Yeldham (30 October 1877 – 10 January 1945)^[1] was a British school teacher and historian of arithmetic. She supported the idea of following the history of mathematics as a motive to teach arithmetic.^[1]

Florence Yeldham
Born	Florence Annie Yeldham (1877-10-30)30 October 1877 Brightling, Battle, Sussex, England
Died	10 January 1945(1945-01-10) (aged 67) Metropolitan Convalescent Home, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England
Occupation(s)	School teacher, historian of arithmetic
Known for	Supporting the idea of following history of mathematics as a motive to teach arithmetic

Early life and education

Florence Yeldham was born at School House, Brightling, Battle, East Sussex, on 30 October 1877, the daughter of school teacher Thomas Yeldham, who later became a school inspector, and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Chesterfield. She was the second daughter and second of at least seven children. She was not originally from London but moved there from Sussex and studied in James Allen's Girls' School, Dulwich.^[1]

James Allen's Girls' School awarded her an exhibition to go to Bedford College, University of London, from where she matriculated in 1895. Yeldham graduated with a BSc (division two) in 1900, having chosen papers in pure mathematics, experimental physics, and zoology. Whilst she is listed as having gained honours, which one would have expected, no details have been found.^[1]

Career

Although she did not enjoy a remarkable teaching career, Yeldham wrote books herself. She produced her first printed work in 1913. Her works include The Story of Reckoning in the Middle Ages,^[2][3] The Teaching of Arithmetic Through 400 Years, 1535–1935,^[2][4] A Study of Mathematical Methods in England to the Thirteenth Century^[5] and Percentage Tables.^[6] Her books were well regarded and included reference material which was not easily available.

Yeldham fell victim to chronic arthritis, which made her final years uncomfortable. She died while staying at Metropolitan Convalescent Home, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, where she spent the last six months of her life.^[1]

References

1. Davis, A. E. L. (2004). "Yeldham, Florence Annie (1877–1945)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
2. Tomash, Erwin; Williams, Michael R. (2008). "Yeldham, Florence Annie". Erwin Tomash Library Catalog (PDF). The Erwin Tomash Library. pp. 1390–1391.
3. Yeldham, Florence Annie (1926). The Story of Reckoning in the Middle Ages. G.G. Harrap & Co. Review:
   • Journal of the Institute of Actuaries. 58 (3): 332–333. November 1927. doi:10.1017/S0020268100031620. JSTOR 41138336.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
4. Yeldham, Florence Annie (1936). The Teaching of Arithmetic Through 400 Years, 1535–1935. Harrap. Reviews:
   • Journal of the Institute of Actuaries. 68 (1): 195. November 1936. JSTOR 41131798.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
   • Karpinski, Louis C. (1937). Isis. 27 (1): 92–94. doi:10.1086/347228. JSTOR 225032.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
   • R. S. W. The Mathematical Gazette. 20 (241): 350–351. doi:10.2307/3607335. JSTOR 3607335.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
5. Yeldham, Florence Annie (1926). A Study of Mathematical Methods in England to the Thirteenth Century. University of London.
6. Yeldham, Florence Annie (1913). Percentage Tables. Pitman.