| Authorised form of name | Rycaut; Sir; Paul (? 1628 - 1700); diplomat and writer |
| Other forms of surname | Rycant |
| Ricant |
| Ricaut |
| Dates | ? 1628 - 1700 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | The Friary, his father's seat at Aylesford, Kent, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 1628 or 1629 |
| Date of death | 16 November 1700 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
South chancel of Aylesford church, Kent, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
| Activity | Education:
Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1650); Gray's Inn (admitted 1652)
Career:
Secretary in the Turkish Embassy of Heneage Finch, Earl of Winchilsea (1661); Consul of the Levant company at Smyrna [0zmir] (1667-1679); Secretary to the Earl of Clarendon (1685); Privy Councillor (1685); Judge of the Admiralty in Ireland (1685); Resident at Hamburg and the Hanse towns, Germany (1689-1700)
Honours:
Kt 1685
Memberships:
Dublin Philosophical Society
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 12/12/1666 |
| Proposer | Henry Heathcote |
| Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk |
| Other Royal Society activity | Had a letter read and published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' on natural history and zoological matters (1699) |
| Relationships | Parents: Sir Peter Rycaut and Mary Vercolad |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: R61721 |
| OtherInfo | Rycault published multiple works on the Ottoman Empire and its culture, religion, and history. His diplomatic and linguistic skill afforded him his appointment as resident in Hamburg. He also translated 'The Critick' by Balthazar Gracian from Spanish. Reportedly, Rycault tried to introduce down-filled duvets to England but remained unsuccessful for over a century. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Venn; Hunter
References:
K Theodore Hoppen, 'The Royal Society and Ireland. II' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 78-99
Notes:
Hunter gives birth date as 1629. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/132112 |
| Code | NA8384 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| P/0113 | Portrait of Rycaut, Sir Paul | 1691 |
| IM/003960 | Rycaut, Sir Paul | nd |
| IM/003959 | Rycaut, Sir Paul | nd |
| EL/R1/52 | Letter, from Paul Rycaut to Mr Ellis, dated at Thorne | 30 December 1698 |
| EL/O1/56 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Paul Rycaut | 30 January 1668 |
| EL/R1/20 | Letter, from Paul Rycaut to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Deale | 16 February 1667 |
| EL/R1/21 | Letter, from Paul Rycaut to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Smyrna | 23 November 1667 |