Alfonsi, Petrus (fl. 1106–1126), scholar and translator of scientific works, was born in northern Spain, to Jewish parents. He was baptized a Christian on 29 June 1106 in Huesca, Aragon, with the names of the apostle on whose feast day the baptism took place and of his godfather, ...
12
Article
Charles Burnett
Bath, Adelard of (b. in or before 1080
Although absolute confidence cannot be placed in the autobiographical details included within the fictitious context of his literary works, ...
Article
Alastair Hamilton
Bedwell, William (bap. 1563, d. 1632), Arabist and mathematician, was born in Great Hallingbury in Essex, where he was baptized on 2 October 1563, one of at least four children of John Bedwell, a small landowner, and his wife, Anne. After an early interest in mathematics had been encouraged by his father's youngest brother, ...
Article
Hugh de Quehen
Bernard, Edward (1638–1697), mathematician and Arabist, was born on 2 May 1638 at Paulerspury, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, the elder child of Joseph Bernard (c.1609–1644), clergyman, and Elizabeth Lenche or Linche (d. in or after 1669) of Wyche, near Great Malvern, Worcestershire...
Article
Burrow, Reuben (1747–1792), mathematician and orientalist, was born on 30 December 1747 on a small farm at Hoberly, near Shadwell, 5 miles north-east of Leeds. When he was about twelve the family moved to a larger farm at Roundhay, nearer town. For some ten years from the age of five, ...
Article
James J. Tattersall
Colson, John (1680–1759), mathematician and translator, was born in Lichfield, the eldest of six children of Francis Coleson (or Colson), vicar-choral of Lichfield Cathedral, and his wife, Elizabeth. He was the nephew and godson of John Strype, the ecclesiastical historian. He attended Lichfield grammar school...
Article
C. E. Hughes
revised by Nilanjana Banerji
Duffield, Alexander James (1821/2–1890), translator and mining engineer, was born at Tettenhall, near Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. He was intended for the clerical profession, and studied at Trinity College, Dublin, but did not take orders. Instead, after marriage, he emigrated to South America. He worked for some years in ...
Image
John Greaves (1602–1652) by Edward Mascall, 1650 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Francis Maddison
Greaves, John (1602–1652), astronomer and orientalist, was probably born at Alresford, Hampshire, the eldest of the four sons of John Greaves (1579–1616), rector of Colmer, a noted schoolmaster, and his wife, Sara (d. 1640). His three brothers also achieved distinction: Nicholas became a fellow of ...
Image
Theodore Haak (1605–1690) by Jonathan Richardson the elder © Royal Society
Article
Haak, Theodore (1605–1690), translator and natural philosopher, was born on 25 July 1605 at Neuhausen, near Worms, where his father, Theodor Haak, held some administrative office; his mother, Maria, was the daughter of Daniel Tossanus, a Huguenot refugee who had become rector of the ...
Article
Peter K. Benbow
Harding, John (bap. 1601, d. 1665), alchemist and translator, was baptized on 8 November 1601 at Great Haseley, Oxfordshire, eldest of the three sons and four daughters of John Harding (c.1562–1610), rector of Great Haseley, and his wife, Isabel, whose former married name was ...
Article
Thomas Seccombe
revised by Anita McConnell
Kerr, Robert (1757–1813), scientific writer and translator, was born on 20 October 1757 at Drumsheugh, Edinburgh, the son of James Kerr (d. 1768), jeweller and goldsmith and MP for Edinburgh city from 1747 to 1754, and his second wife, Elizabeth (1713/14–1799), daughter of ...
Article
Charles Burnett
Ketton, Robert of (fl. 1141–1157), astronomer and translator, is almost certainly identifiable with Robert, archdeacon of Pamplona (fl. 1145–1157): both are attested in Spain in the middle decades of the twelfth century. He often appears in the sources with the toponym Ketenensis...
Article
Prinsep, James (1799–1840), Indologist and scientist, was born on 20 August 1799 at 147 Leadenhall Street, London, the seventh son and tenth child of John Prinsep (1746–1830) [see under Prinsep, Henry Thoby (1792-1878)], merchant and MP, and his wife, Sophia Elizabeth Auriol (1760–1850)...
Article
Stanton J. Linden
Russell, Richard (b. before 1640, d. 1686x97), translator of alchemical and iatrochemical treatises, prepared chemical medicines with his brother William Russell (1634–c. 1696) who was chemist-in-ordinary to Charles II and author of A Physical Treatise, Grounded, not upon Tradition, nor Phancy, but Experience...
Article
Bernard Wasserstein
Samuel [Samuels], Moses (1795–1860), watchmaker and Hebrew scholar, was born in London, the youngest of three sons of Emanuel Menachem Samuel (c.1755–c.1800) and Hanna (Hinde). Emanuel Samuel, who bore the Hebrew title 'the learned', had left his birthplace, ...
Article
Charles Burnett
Shareshill [Sareshel], Alfred of [called Alfred the Englishman] (fl. c. 1197–c. 1222), scientist and translator of Aristotelian works, came from Shareshill, which is probably the village of that name 10 miles west of Lichfield, and so is likely to be the '...
Article
Stuart, John (1743–1821), Gaelic scholar and botanist, was born at the manse, Killin, Perthshire, on 31 July 1743, the son of James Stuart (1700–1789), a minister in the Church of Scotland, and Elizabeth Drummond. Educated at Edinburgh University, he was licensed by the city's presbytery on 27 February 1771, presented to the parish of ...
12
