| Authorised form of name | Woodward; John (1665 - 1728); physician, natural historian, and antiquary |
| Dates | 1665 - 1728 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Derbyshire, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 1 May 1665 |
| Place of death | At his apartments in Gresham College, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Date of death | 25 April 1728 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
Westminster Abbey, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe (1 May 1728) |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Research field | Geology |
| Botany |
| Antiquarianism |
| Activity | Education:
Apprenticed to a linen draper; pupil of Peter Barwick FCP; MD (Lambeth 1695); incorporated at Cambridge
Career:
Gresham Professor of Physic (1692-death); Goulstonian Lecturer (1710); first British author to publish systematic classification and desription of minerals
Memberships:
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (1702/3) |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 30/11/1693 |
| Proposer | Robert Hooke |
| Date of ejection or withdrawal | Expelled from the Society's Council 1710 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council 1696, 1698-1699
Committees and panels:
Committee to consider new statutes of the Academie des Sciences at Paris (1699) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Proposed on 22 November 1693;
Corresponded e.g. with Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (FRS 1703) on natural history of Switzerland (1700s);
Insulted Sir Hans Sloane (FRS 1685) at a Council meeting when he was reading his paper and refused to apologise - he was expelled from Council (1710) |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: R65090
RCN: R65089
RCN: R65087
RCN: R65093
RCN: R65091
RCN: R65088
RCN: R65094 |
| OtherInfo | Woodward was assisted in obtaining the post of Professor of Physic at Gresham College through Peter Barwick, physician to Charles II. In 1718, Woodward published his only medical work, 'The State of Physick and of Diseases', in which he proposed an alternative treatment for smallpox. It was after this publication, that he allegedly was involved in a sword fight with Richard Mead (FRS 1703), with whose method for smallpox treatments he disagreed. Woodward also wrote extensively on natural history and geology, including instructions for making such observations and collections. He was a benefactor to the University of Cambridge and his collection formed the nucleus of the Woodwardian Museum. In his will, he also founded the Woodwardian Professorship of Geology. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Ward; Hunter; Venn; ODNB
References:
Armytage, W H G. 1954-55. 'The Royal Society and the Apothecaries', in Notes and Records, vol. 11, pp. 22-37
De Beer. 1953. 'Sir Hans Sloane, FRS, 1660-1753', in Notes and Records, vol. 10, pp. 81-84
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. 56, pp. 147-166
Jacquot, J. 1953. 'Sir Hans Sloane and French Men of Science', in Notes and Records, vol. 10, pp. 85-98
Levine, J M. 1977. 'Dr Woodward's shield: history, science and satire in Augustan England' (Berkeley)
Smith, H. 2001. 'English 'feminist' writings and Judith Drake's 'An essay in defence of the female sex' (1696)', in Historical Journal, vol. 44(3), pp. 727-748 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/50037252 |
| Code | NA6100 |
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| CLP/22ii/23 | Paper, 'Fossils of all kinds digested into a method suitable to their mutual relation and affinity ...' by John Woodward | [1728] |
| EL/M2/25 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 21 November 1712 |
| LBO/19/5 | Copy letter from Antoine Deidier, Monbtpelier, to John Woodward | 28 April 1722 |
| CLP/4i/54 | Letter, 'De ignis seu caloris certa portione Helvetiae adsignata' [Of fire or heat in parts of Switzerland] from Johann Jakob Scheuchzer to John Woodward | [1707] |
| EL/M2/23 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 19 November 1712 |
| EL/M2/49 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward | 23 September 1724 |
| EL/M2/51 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward | 25 September 1724 |
| EL/M2/21 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 17 November 1712 |
| EL/H3/94 | Letter, from Mr [Benjamin] Holloway to Dr [John] Woodward | 19 February 1713 |
| EL/M2/26 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 22 November 1712 |
| EL/M2/24 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 20 November 1712 |
| EL/M2/22 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 18 November 1712 |
| EL/M2/55 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward | 30 September [1724] |
| EL/M2/47 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward | 21 September 1724 |
| EL/H3/111 | Letter, from Benjamin Holloway to John Woodward, dated at Bedford | 6 July 1723 |
| EL/M2/46 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to James Jurin and John Woodward, dated at Boston | 1724 |
| EL/M2/53 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward | 28 September 1724 |
| CLP/11ii/2 | Extract of letter, regarding the preparation of caerulei prussiaci sent to John Woodward | 17 November 1723 |
| CLP/8i/61 | Paper, 'Observatis eclipsis lunaris peracto Bostoniis' [Observations of the lunar eclipse observated at Boston, New England [USA] on 5 April 1707] by Thomas Brattle | 10 November 1707 |
| RBO/11/103 | 'Extract of a letter from Caspar Neumann to Dr Woodward' | 1724 |
| EL/M2/27 | Letter, from Cotton Mather to John Woodward, dated at Boston | 24 November 1712 |
| EL/M2/34 | Summaries of several letters from Cotton Mather to John Woodward and to Richard Waller | nd |