Person Willis; Thomas (1621 - 1675); physician and natural philosopher Willis Thomas physician and natural philosopher 1621 - 1675 British Male Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, England, Europe 27 January 1621 16210127 St Martin's Lane, London, England, Europe 11 November 1675 16751111 Baptism: St Mary the Virgin, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, England, Europe (14 February 1621) Burial: Westminster Abbey, London, England, Europe

St Martin's Lane, London (-1675)

Physician Medicine Anatomy Education: Edward Sylvester's School at Oxford; Christ Church, Oxford (BA 1639; MA 1642; BMed 1646; DMed 1660) Career: Assisted Mrs Iles, wife of one of the Canons of Christ Church, in making medicines; licensed to practice medicine (1646); practised in Oxford, opposite Merton College; Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of Oxford (1660-1675); practised in London (1666-1675); discovered saccharine diabetes Memberships: Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (1664) Parents: Thomas Willis and Rachel Howell Married: 1) Mary Fell; 2) Elizabeth Calley (née Nicholas) Towards the beginning of the Civil War, Willis served in an auxiliary regiment of university members organised by the Earl of Dover to defend Oxford. In his professional life and his focus on iatrochemistry, Willis was assisted in his experiments by Robert Hooke (FRS 1663), and he also moved in the same Trinity College circles as John Aubrey (FRS 1663) and the same Wadham College circles as Christopher Wren (FRS 1660) and John Locke. Willis, alongside William Petty (FRS 1660), actually gained a reputation as a physician with the resuscitation of Ann Green in 1650. Fellow 18/11/1663 Correspondent to Henry Oldenburg (1667); Asked to contribute to the building of a Society College (1668) Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Foster; Aubrey; ODNB References: Marie Boas Hall, 'Dispenser of Restoration Medicine', review of J Trevor Hughes, Thomas Willis 1621-1675: His Life and Work in NR 1993 vol 47 pp 141-142 D R Oldroyd, 'Some "Philosophicall Scribbles" Attributed to Robert Hooke' in NR 1980 vol 35 pp 17-32 Robert G Frank, Jr, 'John Aubrey, FRS, John Lydall, and Science at Commonwealth Oxford' in NR 1972-3 vol 27 pp 193-217 A Rupert Hall and Marie Boas Hall, 'The Intellectual Origins of the Royal Society - London and Oxford' in NR 1968 vol 23 pp 157-168 L G Wilson, 'William Croone's Theory of Muscular Contraction' in NR 1961 vol 16 pp 158-178 Sir Charles Symonds, 'Thomas Willis, FRS (1621-1675)' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 91-97, plate G H Turnbull, 'Samuel Hartlib's Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 101-130 L Jardine, 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 107-129 Notes: Admitted 13 November 1661 (JB). Willis was first elected on 13 November 1661 (JBO), prior to the Society receiving its Royal Charter and was not officially re-elected FRS of the incorporated Royal Society until the date stated above (18 November 1663) at which time the JBO states: 'Dr Willis was chosen, having been forgot to be chosen again, at the time, when, upon the Renewall of the Charter, the Councill, according to the power granted them therein, did receive and admitt in to the Society, such persons, as had been Election Date Fellows afore, upon the first Charter'. Willis is therefore not considered an original Fellow of the Royal Society, a classification reserved for those named in the 1663 charter or elected within the subsequent two months, the period allowed in the charter for the declaration of Fellows. Elections like Willis's that predated this were no longer recognised and had to be reconfirmed. The date of any subsequent re-election is given in this database as the official election date. Willis T, IM006100.jpg ©The Royal Society International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 RCN: R65141 RCN: R65143 RCN: R65144 RCN: R65140 RCN: 35439 RCN: R65145 RCN: R65142 RCN: R65146 RCN: R65147 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH9196 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-19507 27 Jan 1621- 11 Nov 1675 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 16/02/2022 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8032 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/27073010 6469b63d-37ee-451e-bae4-051864c19b02