Mr. John Napier

Scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomer & astrologer, and also the 8th Laird of Merchistoun. He was the son of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston. John Napier is most renowned as the discoverer of the logarithm, although the actual founder of logarithms was Michael Stifel who invented an early form of logarithm tables independently of and decades before John Napier. Napier is the inventor of the so-called "Napier's bones". Napier also made common the use of the decimal point in arithmetic and mathematics. Napier's birthplace, the Merchiston Tower in Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of facilities of Edinburgh Napier University. After he died primarily of the disease of gout, Napier's remains were buried in St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh.