David Brewster

Scottish astronomer and mathematician (1781–1868)
Person human Q168468
David Brewster
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David Brewster

Summary

David Brewster is a human[1]. Born in Jedburgh[2], he… he was born on December 11, 1781[3]. He died in Melrose[4]. He died on February 10, 1868[5]. He worked as a botanist[6], civil engineer[7], physicist[8], mathematician[9], and astronomer[10]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (304 views/month, #7,190 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • David Brewster was born in Jedburgh[2].
  • David Brewster died in Melrose[4].
  • David Brewster was born on December 11, 1781[3].
  • David Brewster died on February 10, 1868[5].
  • David Brewster is buried at Melrose Abbey[12].
  • David Brewster's father was James Brewster[13].
  • David Brewster's mother was Margaret Key[14].
  • David Brewster was married to Jane Kirke Pernell[15].
  • Among David Brewster's spouses was Juliet Macpherson[16].
  • A child of David Brewster was Constance Marion Brewster[17].
  • A child of David Brewster was David Brewster Macpherson[18].
  • A child of David Brewster was Margaret Maria Gordon[19].
  • David Brewster held citizenship in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[20].
  • David Brewster held citizenship in United Kingdom[21].
  • David Brewster worked as a botanist[6].
  • David Brewster worked as a civil engineer[7].
  • David Brewster worked as a physicist[8].
  • David Brewster worked as a mathematician[9].
  • David Brewster worked as an astronomer[10].
  • David Brewster's professions included philosopher[22].
  • David Brewster's field of work was botany[23].
  • David Brewster's field of work was physics[24].
  • David Brewster's field of work was mathematics[25].
  • David Brewster's field of work was astronomy[26].
  • Among David Brewster's employers was University of St Andrews[27].

Body

Origins and Family

David Brewster was born in Jedburgh[2]. He was born on December 11, 1781[3]. His father was James Brewster[13]. His mother was Margaret Key[14].

Education

David Brewster was educated at University of Edinburgh[28].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include botanist[6], civil engineer[7], physicist[8], mathematician[9], astronomer[10], and philosopher[22]. Fields of work include botany[23], an academic discipline[29]; physics[24], a branch of science[30]; mathematics[25], an academic discipline[31]; and astronomy[26], a branch of science[32]. David Brewster was employed by University of St Andrews[27].

Works and Contributions

A notable work attributed to David Brewster is Brewster stereoscope[33]. Things named for him include Brewster's angle[34]; brewsterite[35], a mineral series[36]; Mount Brewster[37], a mountain[38], in New Zealand[39]; Brewster[40], a lunar crater[41]; and Brewster Island[42], an island[43].

Recognition

Awards received include Fellow of the Royal Society[44], a fellowship award[45], in United Kingdom[46]; Copley Medal[47], a medallion[48], in United Kingdom[49], founded in 1731[50]; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order[51], a civil decoration[52], in Prussia[53], founded in 1842[54]; Royal Medal[55], a science award[56], in United Kingdom[57], founded in 1826[58]; Rumford Medal[59], a science award[60], in United Kingdom[61]; and Grand prix des sciences mathématiques[62], a science award[63], in France[64].

Personal Life

Spouses include Jane Kirke Pernell[15] and Juliet Macpherson[16], 1776–1850[65]. Children include Constance Marion Brewster[17]; David Brewster Macpherson[18], b. 1815[66]; and Margaret Maria Gordon[19], a writer[67], 1823–1907[68].

Death and Burial

David Brewster died on February 10, 1868[5]. He died in Melrose[4]. He is buried at Melrose Abbey[12].

Why It Matters

David Brewster ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (304 views/month, #7,190 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[69] He is known by 22 alternative names across languages and contexts.[70]

He is credited with the discovery of kaleidoscope[71] and photoelasticity[72]. Entities named for him include Brewster's angle[34]; brewsterite[35], a mineral series[36]; Mount Brewster[37], a mountain[38], in New Zealand[39]; Brewster[40], a lunar crater[41]; and Brewster Island[42], an island[43].

FAQs

Where was David Brewster born?

David Brewster's place of birth was Jedburgh[2].

Where did David Brewster die?

David Brewster passed away in Melrose[4].

Who were David Brewster's parents?

David Brewster's father was James Brewster[13]. David Brewster's mother was Margaret Key[14].

Who was David Brewster married to?

David Brewster's spouses include Jane Kirke Pernell[15] and Juliet Macpherson[16].

What did David Brewster do for work?

David Brewster worked as botanist[6], civil engineer[7], physicist[8], mathematician[9], and astronomer[10].

Where did David Brewster go to school?

David Brewster was educated at University of Edinburgh[28].

What awards did David Brewster receive?

Honors received include Fellow of the Royal Society[44], Copley Medal[47], Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order[51], and Royal Medal[55].

What did David Brewster discover?

David Brewster is credited as discoverer of kaleidoscope[71] and photoelasticity[72].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . www.accademiadellescienze.it. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . www.accademiadellescienze.it. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [13] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  4. [14] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  5. [15] . Q75653886. wikidata.org.
  6. [16] . Q75653886. wikidata.org.
  7. [20] . wikidata.org.
  8. [21] . wikidata.org.
  9. [17] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  10. [18] . Q75653886. wikidata.org.
  11. [19] . wikidata.org.
  12. [28] . wikidata.org.
  13. [23] . wikidata.org.
  14. [24] . wikidata.org.
  15. [25] . wikidata.org.
  16. [26] . wikidata.org.
  17. [6] . wikidata.org.
  18. [7] . wikidata.org.
  19. [8] . wikidata.org.
  20. [9] . wikidata.org.
  21. [10] . wikidata.org.
  22. [22] . wikidata.org.
  23. [27] . wikidata.org.
  24. [12] . Find a Grave. wikidata.org.
  25. [44] . wikidata.org.
  26. [47] . docs.google.com. Retrieved . docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  27. [51] . wikidata.org.
  28. [55] . wikidata.org.
  29. [59] . royalsociety.org. royalsociety.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  30. [62] . wikidata.org.
  31. [3] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  32. [5] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  33. [33] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [71] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [72] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [34] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [35] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [37] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [40] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [42] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [68] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [69] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [70] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). David Brewster. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/david-brewster
MLA “David Brewster.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/david-brewster.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_david-brewster_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{David Brewster}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/david-brewster}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 22h ago · Quesotiotyo · 2026-05-20 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14397 615
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P14397]]: 615, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/258229|batch #258229]]"
  2. 2d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation botanist, civil engineer, physicist +7
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31727|batch #31727]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (20)"
  3. 9d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-12 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Educated at
    Member of Royal Society, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Sciences +12
    Spouse Jane Kirke Pernell, Juliet Macpherson
    Occupation botanist, civil engineer, physicist +7
    + 41 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/30846|batch #30846]]: match CERL IDs on the basis of GND (4)"
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