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Authorised form of nameWaller; Richard (c1646 - 1715); natural philosopher and translator
Datesc1646 - 1715
NationalityBritish
Date of birthc. 1646
Date of deathJanuary 1715
Research fieldBotany
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election27/04/1681
ProposerWilliam Croone
Royal Society activityRoyal Society roles:
Secretary 1687-1709, 1710-1714; Vice-President 1709-?; Council 1684, 1686-1699 ; Editor of the 'Philosophical Transactions': 1692-1696 (assisted by Edmond Halley, Hans Sloane and others)
Other Royal Society activityTranslated foreign contributions to the 'Philosophical Transactions';
Had papers published in the 'Transactions' on a variety of topics, including natural history;
Edited Robert Hooke's (FRS 1663) papers after his death (1705);
Built the Society's 'repository' at a cost of £400 and accepted £300 as payment on the condition he be listed as a benefactor (1712)
RelationshipsParents: Mary Waller (afterwards More)
Married: Anna Blackwell
Additional relatives: brother-in-law Alexander Pitfeild (FRS 1684) and Jonas Blackwell (FRS 1692)
Published worksRCN: 39415
RCN: 57977
RCN: 45226
General contextSome sources have identified Waller as James Waller's son, who attended Christ's College, Cambridge. However, the identity of Waller's mother is stated clearly in his will as Mrs Mary More and there are no records of the Fellow Richard Waller having attended any British university. He held connections with the businessmen in the Society's ranks, e.g. James Pettiver (FRS 1695) and Abraham Hill (FRS 1660). He was a close acquaintance of Robert Hooke (FRS 1663), whose papers he later edited and published. One of his most important translations was his 'Essays of Natural Experiments', translated from the Italian Accademia del Cimento's 'Saggi di naturali esperienze'. Waller was a keen illustrator of scientific ideas and saw the importance of visual displays of knowledge.
Related imagesDiscover a selection of related images in our picture library
Image

Waller_RS9666.jpg

SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; Venn; Hunter; NR; ODNB
References:
Bennett, J A. 1972-73. 'Wren's Last Building?', in Notes and Records, vol. 27, pp. 107-118
Ezell, M J M. 1983-84. 'Richard Waller, SRS: 'In Pursuit of Nature'', in Notes and Records, vol. 38, pp. 215-233
Jardine, L. 2004. 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 107-129
Kusukawa S. 2011. 'Picturing knowledge in the early Royal Society: the examples of Richard Waller and Henry Hunt', in Notes and Records, vol. 65, pp. 273-294
Rivington, C A. 1985-86. 'Addendum. Early Printers to the Royal Society, 1663-1708', in Notes and Records, vol. 40, pp.219-220
Notes:
ODNB has approx. 1660 as year of birth. Venn has a Richard Waller with an estimated lifespan between 1646 and 1744.
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/74234132
Royal Society codeNA6739
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
RBO/12/6'Sectio oculorum duorum Cataracta affectorum' from a letter to Richard Waller by Samuel Molyneux 1724
EL/W3/89Richard Waller to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek1714
EL/R1/18John Ray, dated at Black Notley, to Richard Waller19 May 1691
EL/L2/52Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller26 May 1694
EL/W3/71Richard Waller to Joseph Valetta at Naples1712
MM/4/66Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to Morice Emmet16 August 1714
MM/4/65Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to Edward Norris20 August 1714
IM/005649Waller, Richard2003
EL/W3/68Richard Waller to Hans Sloane4 December 1699
IM/004772Waller, Richard2002
EL/W3/90Richard Waller to John FlamsteedJuly 1714
EL/W3/67Richard Waller, dated at London, to Sylvester Bonsiliolus15 July 1696
MM/4/67Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to John Jackson11 August 1714
EL/M2/30Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller26 November 1712
EL/C2/24John Clayton to Richard Waller20 June 1694
EL/N1/77J Northleigh to Richard Waller9 August 1695
EL/W3/87Richard Waller, dated at London, to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek22 June 1714
RBO/9/101'Some Remarks upon Dr Papins Paper concerning an Invention to Improve Clockwork' by Richard Waller1711
RBO/9/99'Some Few Remarks on Dr Papin's New Improvement of the Hassian Bellows' by Richard Waller1711
RBO/9/112'Paper concerning the mineral called Zaffora by Dr Merrett found amongst Dr Hooks Papers' by Richard Waller1713
MM/1/18Letter from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller10 March 1715
RBO/7/85Observations sent from the East Indies - answers to queries sent there by Richard Wallernd
IM/005650Waller, Richard2003
IM/005656Waller, Richard2003
IM/005657Waller, Richard2003
IM/004734Waller, RichardOctober 2004
MS/390/77Bond of Richard Waller to the Treasurer of the Royal Society3 January 1682
NLB/68/57Copy letter from James Hopwood Jeans, Secretary of the Royal Society; to G. A. Armour Esq.; Allison House, Princeton, New Jersey7 May 1925
RBO/22Volume 1 of index to the journal, register and letter books1661-1689
RBO/23Volume 2 of index to the journal, register and letter books1689-1695
CLP/6/44Table, regarding tides at Bristol [England] in 1687 by Richard Waller1687
CLP/3ii/8Paper, 'Some few remarks on Dr Papin's new improvement of the Hessian bellows' by Ric [Richard] Waller[1711]
CLP/22i/35Paper, Account of [Johannes Conradus] Peyeri's 'Parerga Anatomica et medica septem etc' by Richard Wallerc.17th century
CLP/20/96/1Paper, 'An account of ye feltmakers' trade found amongst the late Dr Robert Hooke's Papers by Mr R. [Richard] Waller'. 17th century
IM/004771Waller, Richardnd
EL/W3/85Richard Waller to Monsieur Bon, President of the Academy of Sciences at Montpellier7 May 1714
EL/M2/5Daniel Mitz, dated at Amsterdam, to Richard Waller16 April 1693
EL/W3/91Richard Waller to Dr HoyesAugust 1714
EL/L2/42aAntoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller1 July 1693
RBO/6/91'A Catalogue of simple and Mixt colours with a specimen of each, Colour prefixt to its proper Name' by Richard Waller nd
P/0137Portrait of Waller, Richardc1700
DM/5/100A list of benefactors to the Library, to the value of £5 or upwards at one time c.1737
EL/I1/139Henry Justel to Richard Waller23 July 1693
MS/131Royal Society 'scrap book': scientific illustrations from the Philosophical Transactions and other sources17th-18th Century
EL/W3/84Richard Waller to Pierre Remond de Monmort from Paris7 May 1714
EL/W3/78Richard Waller, dated at London, to Dr Hoye in Jamaica4 February 1714
EL/W2/52John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller22 August 1695
EL/M2/35Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller21 June 1714
EL/D1/60William Derham, dated at Upminster, Essex, to Richard Waller30 November 1713
EL/L2/53Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller14 September 1694
EL/L5/125Owen Lloyd, dated at Dublin, to Richard Waller25 July 1692
EL/O2/179Edward Owen to Richard Waller1695
EL/W3/88Richard Waller to Antoni van Leeuwenhoeknd
EL/W2/47John Wallis to Richard Waller6 December 1694
EL/M2/33Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller29 November 1712
EL/M2/32Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller28 November 1712
EL/W2/44John Walli, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller17 June 1693
EL/W2/50John Wallis to Richard Waller31 May 1695
EL/S2/4Robert Sibbald, dated at Edinburgh, to Richard Waller25 September 1693
EL/W2/59John Wallis to Richard Waller1695
EL/L2/36Translation of a letter from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller1692
EL/W3/80Richard Waller to Antoni van LeeuwenhoekFebruary 1714
EL/S2/13Hans Sloane, dated at London, to Richard Waller22 August 1694
EL/L2/45Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller8 December 1693
EL/L2/48Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller12 February 1694
EL/L2/42Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller19 January 1694
EL/M2/31Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller27 November 1712
EL/W3/76Richard Waller, dated at London, to Cotton Mather 23 December 1713
EL/W3/69Richard Waller to Hans Sloane4 March 1699
EL/E/5John Evelyn, dated at Wotton, to Richard Waller 7 May 1694
EL/C2/19William Cole, dated at Bristol, to Richard Waller at Crosby Square in Bishopsgate Street, London13 December 1693
EL/W3/86Richard Waller, dated at Crane Court, Fleet Street, to Consul Sherrard at Smyrna1 July 1714
EL/S2/12Hans Sloane to Richard Waller1692
EL/E/6John Evelyn, dated at Wotton, to Richard Waller13 March 1698
EL/L2/35Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Richard Waller22 April 1692
EL/M2/29Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller25 November 1712
EL/W3/73Richard Waller, dated at London, to Tomaso Campailla1713
EL/W3/72Richard Waller, dated at London, to Joseph Valetta at Naples5 June 1712
EL/W3/70Richard Waller to Hans Sloane5 October 1707
EL/S2/6Robert Sibbald, dated at Edinburgh, to Richard Waller25 December 1693
EL/W2/51John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller25 June 1695
EL/W3/92Richard Waller, dated at London, to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek19 August 1714
EL/S2/3Robert Sibbald, dated at Edinburgh, to Richard Waller11 July 1693
EL/C2/22John Clayton, dated at Wakefield, to Richard Waller24 November 1693
EL/L5/124Owen Lloyd, dated at Trinity College Dublin, to Richard Waller3 June 1693
EL/M2/28Cotton Mather, dated at Boston, New England, to Richard Waller24 November 1712
EL/W2/58John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller19 February 1696
EL/W3/81Copy of a letter from Richard Waller, dated at Crane Court, to John Flamsteed4 March 1714
EL/W2/53John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller27 August 1695
EL/W2/45John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller20 February 1694
EL/W3/74Richard Waller, dated at London, to James Perpoint, President of the new university founded near New York, New EnglandJune 1713
EL/W3/75Richard Waller, dated at London, to Cotton Mather 22 July 1713
EL/W3/93Richard Waller, dated at London, to Prince Alexander Menzicoff21 October 1714
EL/D1/55William Derham, dated at Upminster, Essex, to Richard Waller3 December 1711
EL/D1/61William Derham, dated at Upminster, Essex, to Richard Waller23 June 1714
EL/L5/126Owen Lloyd, dated at Dublin, to Richard Waller31 October 1693
EL/W3/66Richard Waller, dated at London, to Vincent Vivianus of Florence1694
EL/W3/79Richard Waller to Cotton Mather 1712
EL/D1/56William Derham, dated at Upminster, Essex, to Richard Waller 14 January 1711
EL/W3/83Richard Waller, dated at London, to Tomaso Campailla1714
EL/L5/127Owen Lloyd, dated at Dublin, to Richard Waller31 March 1694
EL/W3/82Richard Waller, dated at London, to Antonio Vallisnerio, Professor of Medicine at Padova1714
CLP/14i/45Paper, ‘A relatione of a strange sleeper’ by William Oliver[1690s]
EL/W2/49John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller30 April 1695
EL/W2/46John Wallis, dated at Oxford, to Richard Waller26 April 1694
RBO/6/92'In Usum Exterorum visum est Praefatiunculam hanc atque Catalogum colorum Latinitate donare'nd
LBOLetter Book of the Royal Society: 'original' copies1661-1740
CLP/15i/40/2Figures, tadpole lifecycle by Richard Waller1690
CLP/15i/37/2Figures, relating to 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard Waller1688
CLP/15i/38Paper, 'The description and figure of a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa]' by Richard WallerMarch 1689
CLP/15i/37/1Manuscript, 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard Waller1688
CLP/15i/38/1Manuscript, 'The description and figure of a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa]' by Richard Waller1689
CLP/15i/38/2Figures, a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa] by Richard Waller1689
CLP/15i/40/1Manuscript, 'Some observations made on the spawn of froggs and of the production of todpoles therein' by Richard Waller1690
CLP/15i/40Paper, 'Some observations made on the spawn of froggs and of the production of todpoles therein' by Richard WallerDecember 1690
CLP/15i/37Paper, 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard WallerDecember 1688
EL/A/44Letter, from Mr A [Francis Aston] to his publisher [Richard Waller]1693
RBO/1/51Index, 'A table of discourses, experiments, enquiries &c. contained in this register for the year 1661 & 1662', by Richard Waller1687
RBO/2ii/69Table, listing the experiments, discourses contained in RBO/2ii1687
RBO/3/0Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 31687
RBO/4/0Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 41687
RBO/5/25Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 51688
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