James Joseph Sylvester, born in London on September 3, 1814, is the sixth and youngest son of the late Abraham Joseph Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool. He was educated at two private schools in London, and at the Royal Institution, Liverpool, whence he proceeded in due course of time to St John's College, Cambridge. In these early days he manifested considerable aptitude for mathematics, and so it was not matter for surprise that he came out in the Tripos Examination of 1837 as Second Wrangler; being incapacitated, by the fact of his Jewish origin, from taking his degree, he was not able to compete for either of the Smith's Prizes. In more enlightened times (1872), he had the degrees of B.A. and M.A., by accumulation, conferred upon him, and received therewith the honour of a Latin speech from the Public Orator. He himself says: “I am perhaps the only man in England who am a full (voting) Master of Arts for the three Universities of Dublin, Cambridge, and Oxford, having received that degree from these Universities in the order above given: from Dublin, by ad eundem; from Cambridge, ob merita; from Oxford, by decree.” He is now D.C.L. of Oxford, LL.D. of Dublin and Edinburgh, and Hon. Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. It is still open for him to receive yet higher recognition from his own alma mater.