Record

Authorised form of nameRobartes; Francis (c1650 - 1718); politician and natural philosopher
Other forms of surnameRoberts
Datesc1650 - 1718
NationalityBritish
Date of birthc. January 1650
Place of deathChelsea, London, England, Europe
Date of death3 February 1718
DatesAndPlacesBaptism:
Lanhydrock, Cornwall, England, Europe (6 January 1650)
Burial:
Chelsea, London, England, Europe (7 February 1718)
OccupationPolitician
Research fieldMusic
Sound
ActivityEducation:
Mr Cary's School at Chelsea; Christ's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1663)
Career:
MP for Bossiney (1673-1679), Cornwall (1679-1681, 1685-1687, 1690-1695); MP for Lostwithiel (1689-1690, 1709-1710); MP for Tregony (1695-1702); MP for Bodmin (1702-1708, 1710-1718); Commissioner for Recusants for Cornwall (1675); Commissioner for Assessment for Cornwall (1677-1680, 1689-1690); Commissioner of Revenue (Ireland) (1692-1704, 1710-1714); Privy Councillor (Ireland) (1692); Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall (1701); Teller of the Exchequer (1704-1710)
Memberships:
Dublin Philosophical Society
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election11/12/1673
ProposerSeth Ward
RSActivityRoyal Society roles:
Council 1693, 1695; VP 1704- , 1717-
Other Royal Society activityPublished multiple papers in the 'Philosophical Transactions', covering a broad range of topics including musical theory, statistics, and arithmetic;
Chosen as one of the auditors of accounts (1711)
RelationshipsParents: John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor (FRS 1666), and Letitia Isabella Smith
Married: 1) Penelope Pole; 2) Anne Boscawen (née Fitzgerald)
Children: John Robartes, 4th Earl of Radnor
Additional relatives: nephew Charles Bodvill Robartes (FRS 1693)
OtherInfoAs a member of parliament, Robartes showed great support for the royal court and was also interested in matters concerning Ireland. These factors led, for example, to his appointment as Privy Councillor in Ireland in 1692. His papers were considered important to the development of musical theory but he also published works concerning mathematics and astronomy.
SourceSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Venn; Hunter; Henning; Sedgwick; ODNB
References:
Hoppen, K T. 1965. 'The Royal Society and Ireland. II.', in Notes and Records, vol. 20, pp. 78-99
CodeNA8413
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
MS/390/126Bond of Francis Roberts to the Treasurer of the Royal Society19 March 1706
CLP/8i/49Paper, 'Concerning the distance of the fixt stars' by Francis Robartes1693
CLP/1/5Paper, 'An arithmetical paradox, concerning the chances of lotterys' by Francis Roberts [Robartes][1693]
CLP/1/4Paper, 'Questions of chance' by Mr [Francis] Robartes[1691]
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