| Authorised form of name | Burnett; Gilbert (1643 - 1715); bishop of Salisbury and historian |
| Other forms of surname | 'Gilbert Sarum' |
| Burnet |
| Dates | 1643 - 1715 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| British |
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 18 September 1643 |
| Place of death | St John's Court, Clerkenwell, London, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 17 March 1715 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
The parish church of St James, Clerkenwell, London, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Clergyman, Church of England |
| Research field | Algebra |
| Chemistry |
| Activity | Education:
Marischal College, Aberdeen; MA (1657); Oxford
Career:
Travelled in Holland and France (1664); Incumbent and benefactor of Saltoun, East Lothian (1664); Clerk of the Presbytery of Haddington (1667); Professor of Divinity, Glasgow University (1669); Chaplain to the Rolls Chapel, London (1675-1684); Lecturer at St Clement's; travelled to France, Italy and Switzerland (1683 and 1685); settled at The Hague on the invitation of William and Mary and returned to England with them; Bishop of Salisbury (1689)
Honours:
Doctor of divinity from University of Oxford (1690s)
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 23/03/1664 |
| Age at election | 20 |
| Proposer | Sir Robert Moray |
| RSActivity | Committee and panels:
Committee for Collecting all the Phenomena of Nature hitherto observed (1664) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Proposed on 16 March 1664 and admitted on the same day he was elected |
| Relationships | Parents: Robert Burnett and Rachel Johnston
Siblings: Sir Thomas Burnett
Married: 1) Lady Margaret Kennedy; 2) Mary Scott; 3) Elizabeth Blake
Children: Gilbert Burnett (FRS 1723); Sir Thomas Burnett (FRS 1748); William Burnett (FRS 1706)
Additional relatives: uncle Archibald Johnston, Lord Wariston |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: 31024
RCN: 31025 |
| OtherInfo | When travelling to England for the first time, Burnett formed relationships with a variety of figures, including John Wilkins (FRS 1660) and Sir Robert Moray (FRS 1660). During his travels in Europe, he got to know different religious and philosophical groups. After returning to Scotland, he furthered his preaching career, in part whilst being a tutor to Sir Robert Fletcher's children, and after Fletcher's death, publishing the sermon from his funeral. One his major works, 'History of the Reformation' (1679) , was very well received and earned him the degree of doctor of divinity from the University of Oxford. Prior to the ascension of James II, Burnett was involved with the court and he enjoyed some favour in the House of Commons, being invited to preach before it in 1680. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, he was also chosen to preach at William III and Mary II's coronation in 1689. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Hunter; ODNB
References:
Cook, A. 2004. 'Rome and the Royal Society, 1660-1740', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 3-19
Notes:
DNB lists him under Burnet. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/22151653 |
| Code | NA6915 |