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Authorised form of nameSouthwell; Sir; Robert (1635 - 1702); diplomat and government official
Dates1635 - 1702
NationalityBritish
Place of birthBattin Warwick, on the river Bandon, near Kinsale, Ireland, Europe
Date of birth31 December 1635
Place of deathKing's Weston, Gloucestershire, England, Europe
Date of death11 September 1702
DatesAndPlacesBurial:
Henbury Church, Gloucestershire, England, Europe
OccupationCivil servant
ActivityEducation:
Queen's College, Oxford; BA (1655), DCL (1677); Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1654)
Career:
Travelled abroad (1659-1661); Clerk to the Commission of Prizes (1664-1667); Clerk to the Privy Council (1664-1679); Deputy Vice-Admiral of the Provinces of Munster (1665), Vice-Admiral (1677); Envoy extraordinary to Portugal (1665-1669), Flanders (1671-1672) and to the Elector of Brandenburg (1680); Chief Commissioner of Excise (1671-1681); Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1673-1680, Westminster (1677-1680), Gloucestershire (1679-1680, 1689-1690); MP for Penrhyn (1673-1679), Lostwithiel (1685-1687); Commissioner of Customs (1689-1697); Deputy-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire (1689-1694); Principal Secretary of State for Ireland (1690-1702); Privy Councillor, Ireland (1690-death); endowed an almshouse for eight helpless men and women on his estate at Dromderrick, Kinsale (1682)
Honours:
Kt 1665
Membership categoryOriginal Fellow
Date of election20/05/1663
ProposerRobert Boyle
RSActivityRoyal Society roles:
On Council (1670; 1674-1676; 1678; 1680-1681); PRS 1690-1695; VP 1695; 1698
Committee and panels:
Committee to examine the structure and sailing of Sir William Petty's new ship (1662) ; Mechanical Committee (1664) ; Committee for the Histories of Trades (1664) ; Committee for improving the English language (1664)
Other Royal Society activityAdmitted 7 May 1662; Correspondent to the Society and submits samples of oils and plants (1659); Brought into a horn allegedly from a unicorn as well as other animal samples (1662); Asked to contribute to plans for Society's college (1668)
RelationshipsParents: Robert Southwell and Helena Gore
Married: Elizabeth Dering
Children: Edward Southwell (FRS 1692)
Additional relatives: uncle-by-marriage of Sir John Percivale (FRS 1681)
OtherInfoDuring the Commonwealth period, Southwell's profited from the Cromwell administrations and his property in Kinsale increased, which in turn enabled the younger Southwell to travel abroad. A possible motive for these travels was to create and improve relationships with exiled royalists. Later, Southwell earned roughly £1000 from property in Ireland.
Related imagesDiscover a selection of related images in our picture library
Image

Southwell P0122.jpg

SourceSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Foster; Henning; ODNB
References:
Marco Beretta, 'At the source of Western science: the organization of experimentalism at the Accadmeia del Cimento (1657-1667)' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 131-151
Susana Gomez Lopez, 'The Royal Society and Post-Galilean Science in Italy' in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 35-44
Penelope M Gouk, 'Acoustics in the Early Royal Society 1660-1680' in NR 1981-82 vol 36 pp 155-175
T Quinn, 'In this issue' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 245 - 247
Notes:
The election date is Southwell's re-election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. He was previously admitted into the Society on 7 May 1662.
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/51758315
CodeNA8282
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
IM/004326Southwell, Sir Robert2001
MS/14Varias receitas e segredos da medicina: anonymous medical receiptsc.1669
EL/S1/15Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin10 December 1662
EL/C2/7Letter, from Mr Crisp to Robert Southwell20 November 1681
RBO/7/60'A paper of experiments relating to the Phosphorus' communicated by Robert Southwellnd
MM/15/36"A list of 20 medals found in a Pott full of the like sort found 1691 in the Island of Calde...by the proprietor Mr John Williams and by him sent to Sr Robert Southwell"17th century
RBO/7/123'An Account of the Copper works on the Avon three miles about Bristol' communicated by Robert Southwellnd
MM/20/56Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell18 November 1682
MM/20/55Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell16 May 1682
RBO/7/69'Several Experiments about giveing Variety of Tinctures to water etc' by Robert Southwellnd
RBO/7/120'An Account of Mr Gordons Voyage in his Majesties Ship to the Levant' communicated by Robert Southwell1696
RBO/7/59'The way of makeing Globe Looking glasses' by Robert Southwellnd
MM/20/57Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell23 December 1682
NLB/11/670Copy letter from Theodore E James, to J N Brushfield, The Cliff, Budleigh Salterton10 September 1895
MM/23/1Letter from Sir Robert Southwell, Lisbon, to John Kempthorne, Bay of Wares9 April 1667
MM/23/2Letter from James Tisdall, Dublin, to Sir Robert Southwell, at the Council Office, Whitehall15 March 1680 [1681]
MS/390/48Bond of Sir Robert Southwell to the Treasurer of the Royal Society30 November 1674
DM/5/101A list of benefactors to the Museum, to the value of £5 or upwards at one time c.1737
EL/P1/87Letter, from Giles Pooley to Robert Southwell25 October 1684
RBO/7/77'An Account of a Monstrous Calf with two Heads' by Robert Southwellnd
IM/004325Southwell, Sir Robertnd
CLP/7i/27Paper, 'An extract of severall relations, deliver'd by P Hieronymo Lobo, a Jesuite, and an eye-witnesse of most of the particulars contained therewith, and by the same command, cared to [Robert] Southwell, who generously imparted it for publication' by Jerónimo Lobo[17th Century]
MOB/017English oak wainscot chair1691
P/0122Portrait of Southwell, Sir Robert1690s
CLP/9i/47Paper, 'An account of the damage that hapnd in the Isle of Portland the 3rd of February 1695' by unknown author[1695]
CLP/9i/36/1Manuscript, 'Pen Parke Hole' by unknown author[1682]
CLP/19/15Paper, 'A memoriall for Robert Southwell in Portugal' by the Royal Society20 September 1665
CLP/9i/36/2Plate, 'The profile and ground plott of a concave in Pen-Park near Bristol in Gloucestershire' by unknown artist[1682]
EL/A/42Letter, from St George Ashe to Robert Southwell12 February 1694
EL/S1/20Letter, from Robert Southwell to Captain Shanon, dated at Lisbon10 December 1667
EL/S1/12Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin11 February 1662
EL/S1/14Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburgnd
EL/S1/13Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin17 June 1663
EL/S1/23Letter, from Robert Southwell to Hans Sloane, dated at King's Weston13 October 1697
EL/G1/66Letter, from Patrick Gordon to Robert Southwell26 February 1696
EL/I1/142Letter, from Henry Justel to Robert Southwell13 May 1693
EL/I1/137Letter, from Henry Justel to Robert Southwell1692
EL/C2/16Extract of a letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Hullavington15 March 1693
EL/S1/19Letter, from Robert Southwell to Colonel Dempsey, dated at Lisbon10 December 1667
EL/P1/95Letter, from Robert Plot to Robert Southwell, dated at London24 October 1694
EL/S1/18Letter, from Robert Southwell to Mr Smith, dated at Lisbon9 December 1667
EL/C2/17Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell at King's Weston16 September 1693
EL/S1/16Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin4 February 1662
EL/S1/22Letter, from Robert Southwell to Robert Hooke, dated at Custom House7 September 1692
EL/S1/21Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Lisbon16 March 1669
EL/S1/17Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin26 April 1663
CLP/3ii/1Paper, 'The method the Indians in Virginia and Carolina use to dress buck and doe-skins' by unknown author[1691]
EL/C2/13Letter, from Dethlevus Cluverus to Robert Southwell, dated at Sleswig4 November 1691
CLP/15i/55Paper, 'Account of a monstrous calf with two heads' by Robert SouthwellMarch 1698
CLP/15i/53Paper, 'Of the humming bird' by Robert Southwell October 1697
EL/O1/120Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Robert Southwell, dated at London8 June 1669
CLP/9i/36Paper, 'Pen Parke Hole' by unknown author[1682]
RBO/4/59'A Discourse made by Sir Robert Southwell ... about water'1675
RBO/7/63'Several Experiments concerning preserving of flowers Fruits etc in their Colours' by Robert Southwellnd
RBO/7/94Nicholas Holloway's method to achieving fine Malaga wine communicated by Robert Southwellnd
CLP/4i/39Paper, 'An account of a hurricane in which the polarity of the needle was changed', communicated by Sir Isaac Newton1683
MC/17Volume 17 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1897-1899
MC/17/351Letter from [Andrew] Bryant, Lansdowne Road, Old Charlton, to General [Edward] Sabine, The Royal Societyc.27 April 1869
EL/C2/20Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Bristol16 November 1695
EL/C2/18Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Bradfield dated at Bradfield14 July 1693
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