| Authorised form of name | Holder; William (1616 - 1698); clergyman and natural philosopher |
| Dates | 1616 - 1698 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 1616 |
| Place of death | Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 24 January 1698 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
St Paul's Cathedral, London, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Clergyman, Church of England |
| Research field | Speech |
| Time |
| Activity | Education:
Nottingham High School; Pembroke College, Cambridge (BA 1637; MA 1640); Incorporated at Oxford (1644; DD 1660)
Career:
Friend of Seth Ward (FRS 1663); Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge (1640-1642); ordained deacon (1640); Rector of Barnoldby-le-Beck, Lincolnshire (1641-1642); Rector of Bletchingdon, Oxfordshire (1642); lived with his father-in-law at Bristol and Knoyle; tutor to Christopher Wren (FRS 1663); Prebendary of Ely (1652-1698); taught Alexander Popham, a deaf and mute person, to speak (1659); Prebendary of Southwell (1660-1664); Master of Mere Hospital, Lincoln (1660); Rector of Northwold, Norfolk (1662-1667); Rector of Tydd St Giles' (1663); Prebendary of St Paul's (1660-1698); Sub-dean of the Chapel Royal (1674-1689); Canon residentiary of St Paul's (1680-1698); Rector of Therfield, Hertfordshire (1687); published 'Discourse Concerning Time' to explain the calendar reform (1694; 1701) |
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council: 1676-1677, 1679, 1682-1683, 1689, 1695
Committee and panels:
Committee for Agriculture [Georgical Committee] (1664) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Member of Robert Hooke's (FRS 1663) informal 'Club for Natural Philosophy and Mechanics' |
| Relationships | Parents: Clement Holder
Married: Susanna Wren
Brothers-in-law: Sir Christopher Wren (FRS 1663) and Matthew Wren (FRS 1663) |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: R82291 |
| OtherInfo | Some of Holder's professional choices were linked to the political climate of his time. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he resigned his fellowship in Lincolnshire and took up the rectory at Bletchingdon in the predominantly more Royalist Oxfordshire. He was frequently in opposition with John Wallis (FRS 1663) on a variety of topics, possibly including the fact that the success story of teaching Alexander Popham to speak was later associated with Wallis. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Venn; Foster; Aubrey
References:
McKie, D. 1960. 'The Origins and Foundation of the Royal Society of London', in Notes and Records, vol. 15, pp. 1-37
Jardine, L. 2004. 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 107-129
Notes:
The election date is Holder'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 elected on 16 January 1661. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/3396615 |
| Code | NA7044 |