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John Ray 1627-1705

John Ray 1627-1705. Father of English natural history. Born in Essex, England Parents – Dad –blacksmith Mom – herbalist, healer Passion for plants and the natural world From his mom’s interest in herbal plant remedies Devout Christian Married 1673 Margaret Oakley-

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John Ray 1627-1705

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  1. John Ray1627-1705

  2. Father of English natural history • Born in Essex, England • Parents – • Dad –blacksmith • Mom – herbalist, healer • Passion for plants and the natural world From his mom’s interest in herbal plant remedies • Devout Christian Married 1673 Margaret Oakley- ¾ daughters survived him

  3. British History ~ 17th century Britain • 1625 Charles 1st King • Ray born in 1627 – a very turbulent time in British history • Civil War 1640-1660 1645 : Ray’s predecessor in field studies and botany, Thomas Johnson, was killed while fighting for the Royalists. • Charles II – 1660 returned to rule as King of England

  4. Education and professional career Cambridge University educated: • 1644 – 1648 studied mathematics, natural science, and languages • 1649 became a minor fellow • 1650 began to study plants in spare time • 1651 became a lecturer in Greek, Math, and Humanities • 1658 became a junior dean • 1660 ordained as a priest in the Anglican church • 1660 First county flora by James Ray

  5. British History ~ 17th century Britain 1660-1680 • Charles II – 1660 returned to rule as King of England • By the Act of Uniformity (1661-2) - Protestant Church of England - ministers had to swear an oath condemning the Covenant, or resign ~ ‘Great Ejection’ Almost 2k ministers, 1/5 of all the clergy, were dismissed and forbidden to teach religion by word or pen. • Ray did not sign or condemn the oath, thus he lost his house, botanic garden and university post • 1665 – black plague • 1666- great fire in London

  6. British History ~ 17th century Britain • In 1685 James II succeeded his late brother Charles II • James left England 1688 he fled from the ‘Glorious Revolution’. • The Stuart dynasty was overthrown in Revolution of 1688 • The crown passed to James’ daughter Mary Stuart, whose husband was Dutch Prince, William of Orange. • William and Mary reigned - peaceful prosperous period • 1689 Act of Toleration – allowed Ray to begin writing some of his most famous theological works

  7. Academic accomplishments • Wrote first County flora • Took a number of expeditions to study the plants of Britain: • Took expeditions around Europe 1663 for three years – observed and collected plants, animals, rocks (Germany, France, Italy) • Ray spent many years cataloguing and analyzing the material gathered on this and other expeditions. The Peaks & North Wales, 1658The Lakes & Isle of Man, 1659The North & Scotland, 1661Wales & the South West, 1662

  8. Academic accomplishments • Founder of both botany and zoology in Britain • Coined the terms flower ‘petal’ and ‘pollen’ • First Botanist to distinguish between monocotyledon and dicotyledon • Believed that fossils were once living organisms – at odds with whether God would allow extinction…a new idea… • Historia Plantarum was the first textbook of modern botany.

  9. Dicot versus Moncot

  10. Academic accomplishments • Prior to Ray – only used reproductive organs for classification. Ray advocated using many traits to distinguish differences. • No one moved systematic classification any further until Carl Linneaus (1701-1778) • Accomplished decades before his time in understanding the function of plant and animal forms and animal behavior. Methodus Insectorum, printed 1705. • First to prove that wood of living tree conducts water.

  11. Academic accomplishments • Devout Christian • ‘natural theology’ = doctrine that the wisdom and power of God could be understood by studying the natural world • “There is for a free man no occupation more worthy and delightful than to contemplate the beauteous works of nature and honor the infinite wisdom and goodness of God. “ • ‘Natural Theology’ influenced many 19th century natural historians that in turn influenced Charles Darwin

  12. Academic accomplishments • 1667 – Admitted as a Fellow into the Royal Society • 1668 – invited to become the Secretary of the Royal Society but he declined. • Chose to focus on divinity as his primary vocation • Educated Sir Francis Willughby’s children and helped publish Willughby’s research on birds. • Willughby left a pension in his will allowing Ray to follow his passions for science and theological studies for the remainder of his life.

  13. Academic and Life accomplishments 1655: Father died and he bought his mom a cottage “Dewlands” 1679: Returned to his birth place, Black Notley,after the death of his mother, and moved into Dewlands. Stayed in contact with scientific community by post Samuel Dale, a local neighbor, helped Ray catalogue his specimens, including many insects Sameul Dale was inspired to become a biologist as well!

  14. Scholarly works • 1660 - Cambridge Catalogue - first county Flora. • 1691 - The Wisdom of God manifested in the Works of Creation, by John Ray, 1691 • 1692 Three Physico-Theological Discourses • 1705 - Methodus Insectorum, printed. • Catalogus Plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium • Catalogus Plantarum Angliae • Collection of English Proverbs • Observations topographical, moral and physiological • Collection of English Words not generally used • Dictionalarium Trilinguae • Ornithologiae Libri tres (Willughby) • Methodus Plantarum Nova • Historia Piscium - fish • Historia Plantarum • Fasciculus Stirpium Brittanicarum • Synopsis methodica Stirpium Brittanicorum • Miscellaneous Discourses • Synopsis methodica Animalium Quadrupedum et Sepentini Generis - animals • Collection of Curious travels and Voyages • Stirpium Europaerrum extra Brittanias nascentium Sylloge • De variis Plantarum Methodis Disseratio brevis • Persuasive to a Holy Life • Historia insectorum - insects • Synopsis methodica Avium et Piscium

  15. Summary • Father of English natural history ~Founder of both botany and zoology in Britain • First to prove that wood of living tree conducts water. • Coined the terms flower ‘petal’ and ‘pollen’ • First Botanist to distinguish between monocotyledon and dicotyledon • Believed that fossils were once living organisms – at odds with whether God would allow extinction…a new idea…

  16. References • http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/ray.html • http://www.jri.org.uk/johnray.htm • http://books.google.com/books?id=dKwPAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+ray&client=firefox-a

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