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Authorised form of nameLister; Martin (1639 - 1712); physician and naturalist
Dates1639 - 1712
NationalityBritish
Place of birthRadclive, Buckinghamshire, England, Europe
Date of birthc. April 1639
Place of deathEpsom, Surrey, England, Europe
Date of death2 February 1712
Dates and placesBaptism:
Radclive, Buckinghamshire, England, Europe (11 April 1639)
Burial:
Clapham Church, London, England, Europe
Research fieldZoology
Geology
ActivityEducation:
Mr Barwick's School, Melton, Leicestershire; St John's College, Cambridge (BA 1659; MA 1662); Oxford (MD 1684)
Career:
Travelled in France; practised in York (1670-1683) and London (1684); accompanied the Earl of Portsmouth on his embassy to Paris (1698); Physician to the Queen (1703-1712); benefactor to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Memberships:
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (1687)
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election02/11/1671
ProposerHenry Oldenburg
Royal Society activityRoyal Society roles:
VP 1685-; Council 1683-1685, 1693-1694, 1697, 1699
Other Royal Society activityCorresponded regularly with Henry Oldenburg and had several letters published in the 'Philosophical Transactions'
RelationshipsParents: Sir Martin Lister and Susanna Thornhurst (née Temple)
Married: Hannah Parkinson
Children: multiple, including Anne Lister and Susanna Lister
Additional relatives: great-uncle Sir Matthew Lister
Published worksRCN: 49800
RCN: 49801
RCN: 49802
RCN: 49803
RCN: 49799
RCN: 49808
RCN: 49798
RCN: 49805
RCN: 49806
RCN: 49891
RCN: 49804
RCN: 49797
RCN: 49794
RCN: 49796
General contextLister was a regular correspondent and friend with John Ray (FRS 1667), who travelled with him and Philip Skippon (FRS 1667). His first book, 'Historia animalium Angliae tres tractatus' was published in the late 1670s and contained a systematic description of English spiders. He was also a member of the Temple Coffee House club, which met regularly to discuss natural history. He is considered an early, if not the first, observer of spiders and their structure and behaviour, which has led to him sometimes being designated the first arachnologist.
Related imagesDiscover a selection of related images in our picture library
SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Venn; Hunter; Foster; ODNB
References:
Allen, D E. 1993. ''Spider-Man at Work', review of John Parker and Basil Harley, eds, Martin Lister's English Spiders 1678', in Notes and Records, vol. 47, pp. 144-145
Fontes da Costa, P. 2002. 'The Culture of Curiosity at The Royal Society in the first half of the eighteenth century', in Notes and Records, vol. 156, pp. 147-166
Hall, M B. 'The Royal Society's Role in the Diffusion of Information in the Seventeenth Century', in Notes and Records, vol. 29, pp. 173-192
Hunter, M. 1976-7. 'The Social Bias and Changing Fortunes of an Early Scientific Institution: An Analysis of the Membership of the Royal Society, 1660-1685', vol. 31, pp. 9-114
Unwin, R W. 1995. 'A Provincial Man of Science at Work: Martin Lister, FRS, and his Illustrators 1670-1683', in Notes and Records, vol. 49, pp. 209-230
Notes:
Later possible birth date is from Hunter. Lister's correspondence is available under the EMLO (Early Modern Letters Online) project [http://emlo-portal.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/collections/?catalogue=martin-lister; last accessed 28/07/2022]
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/100199531
Royal Society codeNA8382
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
EL/I1/168Letter, from Francis Jessop to Martin Lister13 October 1673
EL/H3/83Letter, from Christopher Hunter to Martin Lister, dated at Stockton7 April 1702
RBO/8/12'Estralto di Notizie Sopra la nuova Scoperta dell'origine d'elle pulci' sent in a letter to Martin Listernd
EL/L5/78Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburgnd
RBO/6/9'Tables of Sands and Clays' by Martin Lister1684
MM/10/89"Martini Lister Methodus Conchyliorum"17th century
RBO/6/14'A Cement for the coating of Cisterns' communicated by Martin Listernd
RBO/7/92'Of the Origine of white Vitriol and the figure of its Chrystalls not yet accounted for' by Martin Listernd
RBO/7/49'An Account of the Roman Pottery' by Ralph Thoresby sent to Martin Listernd
IM/002779Lister, Martin and Goedartius, Johannes1995
RBO/7/50'An Account of the Nature and Differences of the Juices particularly of English Vegetables' by Martin Listernd
EL/L5/120Letter, from Edward Lhwyd to Martin Lister, dated at Dol Gelhey20 January 1694
EL/I1/171Letter, from Francis Lister to Henry Oldenburg9 March 1673
RBO/8/39'An account of a Young Man Slain with Thunder and Lightning December 22 1698' from Ralph Thoresby to Martin Lister1698
CLP/22i/55Paper, 'Sanctorii Sanctorii de statica medicina aphorismorum sectiones septem' with commentary by Martin Lister[1701]
EL/C2/31Extract of a letter, from Robert Clarke to Martin Lister, dated at Lincoln8 November 1697
IM/005324Lister, Martin1990
RBO/6/63'A Proposal of a new way of Cutting for the Stone of the Bladder' by Martin Lister1685
EL/P1/108Letter, from Monsieur [Franois] Poupart to Martin Listernd
EL/I1/167Letter, from Francis Jessop to Martin Lister, dated at Broomhall15 September 1673
EL/L5/40Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York28 October 1671
RBO/8/46Letter from Thomas Molyneux to Martin Lister containing some additional observations on the Giant's Causeway1698
IM/005251Lister, Martin1995
EL/L5/21Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg23 December 1670
EL/L5/32Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York30 May 1671
CLP/20/94Paper, Concerning M. [Jean de] Hautefeuille's work by Robert Hooke31 May 1699
CLP/9i/51Paper, 'Coal-borings with role or record had from Mr Maleverer of Arncliffe in Yorkshire' by Maleverer[1698]
CLP/9i/52/2Plate, ten figures showing fossils of aquatic animals by William Jones[1698]
CLP/10i/33Paper, 'An account of the nature and differences of the juices, more particularly, of our English vegetables' by Dr [Martin] Lister[1690s]
CLP/9i/52/3Plate, nine figures showing fossils of aquatic animals by William Jones[1698]
CLP/15i/57Paper, regarding the anatomy of the scallop by Martin Lister1697
CLP/9i/52/1Manuscript, 'An explication of the figures in the plate with further remarks by another Fellow of the Royal Society' by Edward Lhwyd in a letter to Martin Lister[1698]
EL/L5/63Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York1 December 1673
EL/L5/73Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York16 January 1675
EL/L5/30Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York28 April 1671
EL/D1/35Letter, from David Davies to Martin Lister, dated at Brathwaite28 June 1684
EL/L5/42Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York10 January 1671
EL/L5/34Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York14 June 1671
EL/T/30Letter, from Richard Towneley to Martin Lister, dated at Towneley9 October 1693
EL/I1/166Letter, from Francis Jessop to Martin Lister1673
EL/T/55Letter, from Ralph Thoresby to Martin Lister22 December 1698
EL/L5/62Letter, from Martin Lister to Nehemiah Grew1673
EL/L5/31Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York22 May 1671
EL/T/52Letter, from Ralph Thoresby to Martin Lister, dated at Leeds11 November 1696
EL/L5/81Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg15 September 1677
EL/L5/33Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg31 May 1671
EL/L5/69Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York7 February 1673
EL/L5/36Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York17 July 1671
EL/L5/45Letter, from Martin Lister to the Archbishop of York [Richard Sterne], dated at York10 April 1672
EL/H3/85Letter, from Christopher Hunter to Martin Lister, dated at Stockton29 May 1702
EL/L5/64Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg19 December 1673
EL/L5/72Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York15 July 1674
EL/L5/71Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York6 April 1674
EL/L5/119Letter, from Edward Lhwyd to Martin Lister1693
EL/L5/35Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg5 July 1671
EL/B2/54Letter, from [Charles César] Baudelot [de Dairval] to Martin Listernd
EL/L5/47Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York10 October 1672
EL/L5/79Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York15 September 1677
EL/L5/54Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York24 June 1673
EL/H3/55Letter, from Robert Hooke to Martin Lister, dated at Gresham College5 January 1678
EL/L5/29Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York8 April 1671
EL/L5/59Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York18 September 1673
EL/A/33Minutes of the Dublin Philosophical Society, sent by St George Ashe, dated at Trinity College Dublin24 November 1685
EL/L5/80Letter, from Martin Lister to Tancred Robinson, dated at Leatherhead2 May 1701
EL/L5/44Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York19 March 1671
EL/L5/41Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York11 November 1671
EL/L5/50Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York12 December 1672
EL/L5/49Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York15 November 1672
EL/L5/121Letter, from Edward Lhwyd to Martin Lister1693
EL/L5/28Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York17 March 1670
EL/L5/56Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York26 July 1673
EL/S2/9Letter, from Robert Sibbald to Martin Lister, dated at Edinburgh20 January 1697
EL/L5/48Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York23 October 1672
EL/L5/76Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York7 February 1674
EL/L5/24Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York28 January 1670
EL/D1/38Letter, from Samuel Dale to Martin Lister, dated at Braintree1 February 1698
EL/L5/68Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York28 January 1673
EL/L5/38Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York13 September 1671
EL/L5/77Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York9 July 1676
EL/N1/30Letter, from Walter Needham to Martin Lister1673
EL/T/53Letter, from Ralph Thoresby to Martin Lister, dated at Leeds30 October 1697
EL/I1/164Letter, from Francis Jessop to Martin Lister25 June 1673
EL/L5/46Letter, from Martin Lister to John Brook, dated at York12 April 1672
EL/S2/8Letter, from Robert Sibbald to Martin Lister, dated at Edinburgh26 October 1696
EL/L5/58Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York2 September 1673
EL/H3/84Letter, from Christopher Hunter to Martin Lister, dated at Stockton15 May 1702
EL/L5/55Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York28 June 1673
EL/L5/27Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York4 March 1670
EL/L5/122Letter, from Edward Lhwyd to Martin Lister, dated at Oxford1693
EL/L5/123Letter, from Edward Lhwyd to Martin Lister, dated at Pembroke5 June 1698
EL/L5/25Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York8 February 1670
EL/O2/43Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London20 January 1670
EL/L5/43Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York24 February 1671
EL/B2/48Extract of a letter, from Mr [Michael] Butterfield to Martin Lister, dated at Paris7 September 1698
EL/W3/54Letter, from Nicolaus Witsen to Martin Lister, dated at Amsterdam3 October 1698
CLP/14i/48Paper, 'An observation of 2 boys bitt by a mad dog' by Martin Lister[1690s]
CLP/22i/66Paper, 'Apicii Coelii de opsoniis et condimentis, sive arte coquinaria [Coeilius liked by bees concerning feasting and seasoning or the art of the kitchen] ' by Apicii Coelii7 March 1705
EL/L5/51Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York1 January 1672
EL/O2/97Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London29 October 1672
EL/L5/39Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York16 October 1671
EL/L5/37Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York25 August 1671
EL/W2/17Letter, from John Wallis to Martin Lister, dated at Oxford12 January 1673
RBO/7/55'Concerning several Plants may be usefully cultivated for Produceing Grass or Hay' by Martin Listernd
RBO/6/3Several observations of salty water by Martin Lister16 January 1683
CLP/14i/47Paper, 'Of a venomous scratch with the tooth of a porpos [porpoise], its symptoms and cure' by Martin Lister[1690s]
CLP/15i/61Extract of a letter, 'Concerning the insect called libella' from François Poupart to Martin Lister1699
CLP/15i/23Letter, 'Of spiders and snails' from Mr Skippon to John RayFebruary 1668
RBO/6/20'Some Experiments about Freezing, and the Difference betwixt common fresh Water Ice, and that of Sea Water: Also a probable conjecture about the Originall of the Niter of Aegypt' by Martin Lister14 January 1685
EL/I1/169Account of two uncommon mineral substances found in coal mines in Derbyshire as it was given by Francis Jessop to Martin Lister7 January 1674
EL/L5/75Copy of a letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg27 June 1675
EL/L5/52Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York8 January 1672
EL/L5/67Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York19 January 1674
EL/O2/47Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London25 February 1671
EL/L5/57Copy of a letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg1673
EL/O2/138Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London18 November 1673
EL/M1/105Letter, from Thomas Molyneux to Martin Lister, dated at Dublin25 March 1698
EL/B2/40Letter, from Richard Bulkeley to Martin Lister, dated at Old Bawn10 February 1693
EL/L5/23Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York25 January 1670
EL/L5/65Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York3 January 1674
EL/L5/53Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York21 May 1673
EL/H3/82Letter, from Christopher Hunter to Martin Lister, dated at Newcastle upon Tyne6 November 1700
EL/L5/60Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York25 October 1673
EL/L5/20Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Carlton in Craven9 August 1670
EL/O2/52Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London27 July 1671
EL/O2/99Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London12 December 1672
EL/O2/118Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Martin Lister, dated at London12 June 1673
EL/L5/22Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York10 January 1671
EL/L5/61Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York4 November 1673
CLP/16/47Paper, regarding Roman antiquities found in York [England] by Martin Lister1681
EL/L5/74Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York27 June 1675
EL/L5/66Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York7 January 1673
EL/L5/70Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York12 March 1673
CLP/9i/52Paper, 'An explication of the figures in the plate with further remarks by another Fellow of the Royal Society' by Edward Lhwyd in a letter to Martin Lister[1698]
CLP/10i/34Letters, 'Concerning severall plants may be usefully cultivated for producing grasse or hay' by Dr Martin Lister[1696]
RBO/6/8'Of the Quicksilver rising and falling in the Barometer; And what may be gathered from its great rise in frosty weather' by Martin Lister20 March 1684
RBO/9/23'An account of the Symptoms that attended two boys who had handled and washed a dog's head which had been bit by a mad dog' communicated by Martin Listernd
RBO/9/28'A new discovery of the original of Fleas' - extract from a letter from D'iacinto Cestone of Leghorn to Martin Lister1697
EL/I1/170Copy of a letter, from Francis Jessop to Martin Lister1674
EL/L5/26Letter, from Martin Lister to Henry Oldenburg, dated at York15 February 1670
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