See also
| Name: | Henry Perigal |
| Sex: | Male |
| Father: | Henry Perigal (1768-1867) |
| Mother: | Louisa Brady (1770-1827) |
| Birth | 1 Apr 1801 | Newington, Surrey |
| Baptism | 4 May 1801 (age 0) | St Mary's, Newington Butts, London |
| Census | 1841 (age 39-40) | Independent, Smith Street, Chelsea, London |
| Census | 1851 (age 49-50) | Stock broker's clerk, visitor, 5 Smith Sq, Chelsea (unmarried) |
| Census | 1861 (age 59-60) | "Experimentalist", visiting Hamilton Fulham, civil engineer, Wimbledon (unmarried) |
| Occupation | 25 Feb 1880 (age 78) | Experimentalist, 9 North Crescent, Bedford Sq (L.Gazette 25.2.1880, p.1469) |
| Death fact | 1898 (age 96-97) | 1898 Jun Qtr, St Giles, 1b/355 (aged 97) |
| Death | 6 Jun 1898 (age 97) | 9 North Crescent, Bedford Square, Middlesex |
| Burial | 22 Sep 1898 | St Mary & St Peter, Wennington, Essex (aged 97) |
Henry Perigal, baptised 4th May, 1801, at St. Mary's, Newington Butts. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical and Royal Microscopical Societies; Treasurer of the Royal Meteorological Society; and a Member of several other Scientific Associations. Is the author of various works on Astronomy; Bicycloidal and other Curves; Kinematics, and the Laws of Motion; Probable Mode of Constructing the Pyramids, &c.
Source: Some Account of the Perigal Family (1887)
Henry Perigal was a stockbroker and amateur mathematician and astronomer, whose life spanned almost the entire nineteenth century and who is now known principally for an elegant cut-and-shift proof - what is now called a dissection proof - of Pythagoras' Theorem. He himself perhaps felt that this was his most important accomplishment - his diagram was carved, presumably at his own request, on his gravestone in Wennington Churchyard, Essex.
He discovered a number of other interesting geometrical dissections, however, and both his life and his role in nineteenth century British scientific society are curious.
Source: http://plus.maths.org/issue16/features/perigal/
PERIGAL Henry of 9 North Crescent Bedford Square Middlesex died 6 June 1898. Probate London 18 June to Frederick Perigal retired civil servant and Caroline Wharton widow. Effects £4180 8s. 10d.