Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Power, Joseph
POWER, JOSEPH (1798–1868), librarian of the university of Cambridge, son of a medical practitioner at Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, was born in 1798. He was admitted pensioner at Clare College, Cambridge, on 21 March 1817. He graduated B.A. in 1821, when he was tenth wrangler, and M.A. in 1824. He was elected fellow of his college in 1823 (19 Dec.), and served the office of dean; but, as there was no vacancy in the tuition, he removed in 1829 to Trinity Hall, where he became fellow on 21 Feb., one of the two tutors, and lecturer. In the same year he was proctor. In 1844 he returned to his former college, and was re-elected fellow on 2 Jan. In 1845 he was a candidate for the office of librarian of the university, vacant by the resignation of the Rev. J. Lodge. His opponent was the Rev. J. J. Smith, M.A., fellow of Gonville and Caius College, an extremely hard-working and industrious person. Power, on the other hand, though able, was known to be fond of literary ease. It was remarked, therefore, that the senate had to choose between work without Power, and Power without work. Power beat his opponent by 312 votes to 240. He resigned the office on 13 Feb. 1864. In 1856 he was presented by Clare College to the vicarage of Litlington, Cambridgeshire, which he held till 1866, when the same patrons presented him to the rectory of Birdbrook, Essex. He died there on 7 June 1868.
Power kept up his study of mathematics, and continued to write upon them till late in life. He was also an accurate scholar, and a thorough master of both the theory and the practice of music. His geniality, love of hospitality, and wide interests made him a universal favourite.
He contributed the following papers to the Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society: ‘A general Demonstration of the Principle of virtual Velocities,’ 1827; ‘A Theory of Residuo-capillary Attraction,’ 1834; ‘Inquiry into the Causes which led to the fatal Accident on the Brighton Railway, 2 Oct. 1841,’ 1841; ‘On the Truth of a certain Hydrodynamical Theorem,’ 1842; ‘On the Theory of Reciprocal Action between the Solar Rays and the different Media by which they are reflected, refracted, and absorbed,’ 1854. To these may be added ‘Inquiry into the Cause of Endosmose and Exosmose,’ British Association Report, 1833.
[Cambridge Graduati and Calendar; Royal Soc. Cat. of Scientific Papers; private information.]