Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Luby, Thomas
LUBY, THOMAS (1800–1870), mathematician, born at Clonmel, co. Tipperary, in 1800, was descended from a Huguenot family which fled from France in 1685 and settled in Canterbury. His father, John Luby, married Eleanor Fogarty, of the old Irish family of Castle Fogarty. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, as a sizar in 1817, obtained a scholarship in 1819, graduated B.A. in 1821, and proceeded M.A. in 1825 and D.D. in 1840. Elected to a junior fellowship in 1831, he was co-opted senior fellow in 1847. Among the various college offices filled by him were those of university preacher, censor, junior dean, bursar, senior dean, and senior lecturer, Donegal lecturer, and mathematical examiner in the school of civil engineering. He died in Dublin on 12 June 1870, and was buried at Aberystwith. He married first Mary Anne Wetherall, niece of General Sir Frederick Wetherall, K.C.B., and secondly Jane Rathborne of Dunsina, and had six sons and four daughters. His popularity as a college tutor was unexampled. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy, to which he presented the autograph of Wolfe's 'Burial of Sir J. Moore,' and he wrote for college use 'An Introductory Treatise on Physical Astronomy,' London, 1828, and 'The Elements of Plane Trigonometry,' 1825; third edit. 1852. He also edited Brinkley's 'Astronomy,' Dublin, 1836. and was associated with Sir W. R. Hamilton in many of his publications.
[Taylor's Hist. of the Univ. of Dublin, p. 524; Irish Times, 13 June 1870; Athenæum, 18 June 1870; private information.]