Person Neile; Sir; Paul (1613 - 1686); courtier and patron of science Neile Paul Sir courtier and patron of science Neale 1613 - 1686 British Male Westminster, London, England, Europe c.1613 16130000 London, England, Europe 16860000 Baptism: St Margaret's, Westminster, London, England, Europe (11 May 1613)

Bourtill or Bowdill, Yorkshire (1657); Hill House, White Waltham, Berkshire (1670); Codnover Castle, Derbyshire (1682)

Optics Education: Pembroke College, Cambridge (admitted 1627; BA 1631) Career: Indicted for manslaughter (1636) but his father secured him a royal pardon; MP for Ripon (1640); provided telescopes for Seth Ward's observatory at Wadham College, Oxford, and Gresham College and for diplomatic and royal gifts; Gentleman Usher to the Privy Chamber (1662); Published 'Discourse on cider' in John Evelyn's 'Sylva' (1664); Commissioner for Appeals in Excise; MP for Newark, Nottinghamshire (1673-1677) Honours: Kt 1633 Parents: Richard Neile, Archbishop of York (1562-1640) and Dorothy Dacre (d. 1647) Married: Elizabeth Clarke Children: William Neile (FRS 1663) and Richard Neile (b. 1640); Elizabeth (b.1637) and Mary (b.1641) During the period of civil war in England, Neile was one of the signatories of the Yorkshire engagement in support of the royalist cause. In 1670, Neile is listed as one of the original 'adventurers' in the Royal Charter of the Hudson's Bay Company. Charles II granted the charter establishing the Hudson's Bay Company, officially "The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, trading into Hudson's Bay," on May 2, 1670. The charter aimed to establish a trade monopoly on the Eastern coast of what is now Canada and claimed 1.5 million square kilometres of land inhabited by Inuit and First Nations communities (everything in the Hudson river network of waterways), this grew to eight million square kilometres which was dubbed Rupert's Land. The 'adventurers' and traders employed by the HBC did the work of colonizing and nation-building, such as mapping British Columbia's interior and charting the Arctic coast, almost always with the help of Indigenous guides. The Company's aim was territorial expansion and geographical knowledge as well as resource extraction. The company depended on Indigenous hunters to bring them the furs they sold in Europe and made the Company shareholders very wealthy. This trading relationship was often cordial and mutually beneficial but introduced and advanced the spread of diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis, to which Indigenous Peoples had no immunity. Attitudes toward Indigenous Peoples grew more disdainful by the mid-1800s, as HBC officials became more comfortable in the region and relied less on Indigenous knowledge. In 1868, the Rupert's Land Act was passed, an agreement to transfer the region from the HBC to the recently confederated states of Canada disregarding the Indigenous Nations' ownership of the land and their resistance to its transfer to a colonial power. The HBC continued to operate as a commercial company and operated some 100 stores in Indigenous communities into the 20th century, setting low prices for furs and high prices for their goods, a process that kept Indigenous consumers in a perpetual state of debt. The HBC remains a transnational company. Royal Society roles: Served on council continuously from the first in 1663 until 1673 and then at intervals until 1678. Committee and panels: Committee to consider a way of determining the measure of a degree on earth (1669); Mechanical Committee ; Committee for account audits (1671) ; Involvement with negotations regarding Chelsea College and its sale. Founder Fellow 28/11/1660 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB (MP); Venn References: G H Turnbull, 'Samuel Hartlib's Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 101-130 C A Ronan and Sir Harold Hartley, 'Sir Paul Neile, FRS (1613-1686)' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 159-165 Albert Van Helden, 'Christopher Wren's De Corpore Saturni' in NR 1968 vol 23 pp 213-229 Michael Hunter, 'The Social Bias and Changing Fortunes of an Early Scientific Institution: An Analysis of the Membership of the Royal Society, 1660-1685' in NR 1976-7 vol 31 pp 9-114 J Gribbin, 'The Fellowship', 2005, pp158-160 Notes: In index to BR he is given the standard election date ascribed to the original members of Council in R, 22 Apr 1663. He 'was pleased to offer of himself to be entered one of the Society' (JB, 16 October 1661) 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 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH6187 before 11 May 1613 - before Feb 1686 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 01/11/2021 as part of Name Authority Project update. NA8265 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/289438307 f6482c8b-37a8-43cf-952a-f4e2802d8dc5