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Authorised form of nameBeale; John (c1608 - c1683); clergyman and writer
Datesc1608 - c1683
NationalityBritish
Place of birthYardley, Herefordshire, England, Europe
Date of birthc1608
Dates and placesBaptism:
Yarkhill, Herefordshire, England, Europe (17 April 1608)
Burial:
Yeovil, Somerset, England, Europe (16 April 1683)
OccupationClergyman, Church of England
Research fieldAgriculture
Horticulture
Botany
Forestry
ActivityEducation:
Worcester Cathedral school (1618-1622); Eton College (1622-); King's College, Cambridge (BA 1632/3; MA 1636)
Career:
Fellow of King's (1632-40); travelled for some years while tutor and guardian to cousin Robert Pye and George Speke; Rector of Sock, Somerset (1638-1683); published 'A Treatise on Fruit Trees' (1653); member of the Herefordshire committee for ejecting scandalous ministers (1654); instrumental in establishment of Herefordshire Association of Ministers (1657-1658); published 'Observations on some parts of Bacon's natural history, as it concerns fruit trees, fruits and flowers' (1658); Rector of Yeovil, Somerset (1660-1683); Chaplain to Charles II (1665-1683)
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election16/08/1663
Royal Society activityCommittee and panels:
Committee for Agriculture [Georgical] (1664) ; Committee for the Histories of Trades (1664) ; Committee for Collecting all the Phenomena of Nature hitherto observed (1664) ; Committee for Correspondence (1664)
Other Royal Society activityFrequent correspondent on agricultural matters; Appointed Curator of Experiments regarding cider production (1663); Beale's paper 'Aphorisms concerning cider' (1662) prompted the formation of committee to consider the production elsewhere in England
RelationshipsParents: Thomas Beale and Joanna Pye
Additional relatives: uncles Sir William Pye (attorney-general of the Court of Wards) and Sir Robert Pye (auditor of the exchequer)
General contextBeale was affected relatively early on by the impending Civil War and sequestration and was ejected from the rectory at Sock [Dennis]. After the siege of Hereford in 1645, Beale fled to the parliamentary camp at Shrewsbury. Later, his connection by marriage to Humphrey Mackworth, governor of Shrewsbury, allowed him to serve as his chaplain. With his background and interest in cider production and related agriculture, Beale started correspondence with Samuel Hartlib, becoming a member of the Hartlib circle. This brought him in the same circle as John Evelyn (FRS 1660), Henry Oldenburg (FRS 1660), and Robert Boyle (FRS 1660).
Related imagesDiscover a selection of related images in our picture library
SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Venn; ODNB
References:
Goodchild, P H. 1991. ''No Phantasticall Utopia, but a Reall Place'. John Evelyn, John Beale and Backbury Hill, Herefordshire', in Garden History, vol. 19(2), pp. 105-127
Notes:
DNB gives date of birth as 1603, Hunter gives 1608; Venn gives c1613.

Declared an honorary member from 07 January 1663 (Birch p172: "they had declared him, from that time, an honorary member of the society, and would receive him, upon his desire, a fellow of it."); re-elected 16 August 1663 [JB]. After the grant of the Second Royal Charter to the Royal Society in 1663 all existing Fellows had to be declared within two months or re-elected. As Beale was re-elected outside the two month window stipulated in the Charter he is not considered an Original Fellow of the Society. The date of election after the grant of the 1663 Charter is considered the official election date and is the one given in this database.
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/20025298
Royal Society codeNA3355
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
EL/OB/134Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle2 September 1671
EL/S1/6Copy of a letter, from unknown author to John Bealend
EL/B1/23Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle23 February 1663
EL/S1/2Copy of a letter, from Peter Smith to John Beale1664
EL/S1/5Copy of a letter, from unknown author to John Bealend
EL/S1/38Letter, from Robert Seymer to John Beale, dated at Hanford18 April 1665
CLP/17/12Paper, how to make good ink and how to make gunpowder by Reverend Beale[1667-1676]
CLP/3i/18/2Drawings, instruments for making parchment by [John Beale]14 December 1663
EL/B1/64Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg22 September 1673
EL/B1/67Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg3 April 1675
LBO/8/41Copy letter from John Beale, Yeovil, to Hook29 November 1679
EL/B1/78Extract of a letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society]1662
EL/B1/29Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn25 April 1663
EL/OB/138Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset31 December 1673
EL/B1/50Account of tanning dog and cat skins by John Beale1660s
CLP/3i/18/1Manuscript, 'The art of making parchment, vellum, glue etc' by John Beale14 December 1663
CLP/3i/18/3Drawing, 'The frame for parchment' by [John Beale]14 December 1663
EL/B1/71Letter, from John Beale at Yeovil to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Yeovil, Somerset5 June 1676
EL/OB/97Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle4 October 1661
EL/B1/60Letter, from John Beale to Robert Hooke1670s
EL/OB/108Letter, from John Beale to Robert BoyleDecember 1663
EL/S1/3Copy of a letter, from Peter Smith to John Beale1664
EL/OB/98Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle23 February 1662
DM/5/72A'Desiderata from Mr Beale'c.1663
EL/B1/43Paper, 'About agriculture' by John Beale27 January 1664
EL/B1/48bCopy of a letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn1660s
EL/B1/48aCopy of a letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn1660s
EL/B1/65Letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society]22 September 1673
EL/OB/102Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle29 September 1663
EL/OB/111Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle18 January 1663
DM/5/80B'Desiderata recommended to Dr Beale'c.1660s
EL/B1/53Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg28 May 1668
EL/B1/28Continuation of a letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn20 April 1663
EL/B1/25Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn14 March 1662
EL/OB/122Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle28 August 1666
EL/OB/117Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle9 November 1665
EL/V/27Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg21 January 1670
EL/OB/123Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset7 May 1666
EL/B1/19Extract of a letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn19 January 1663
EL/B1/44Paper, 'About agriculture' by John Beale1 July 1664
EL/OB/121Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle18 April 1666
EL/B1/45Paper, 'Of utensills of Husbandry' by John Beale9 July 1664
EL/B1/51Letter, from John Beale to Br. Till18 January 1664
EL/OB/145Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset8 July 1682
EL/OB/106Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset9 November 1663
EL/B1/42Essay on some politicalls to be considered in Agriculture by John Beale20 June 1664
EL/OB/136Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle27 November 1671
EL/B1/33Copy of a paper on springs, fountains, lakes, waters by John Beale1663
EL/OB/131Letter, from John Beale to Robert BoyleJanuary 1666
EL/S1/4aCopy of a letter, from Peter Smith to John Beale1664
EL/OB/141Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset16 February 1680
EL/OB/109Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset14 December 1663
EL/OB/114Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle27 May 1665
EL/B1/72Letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society], dated at at Yeovil10 February 1676
EL/B1/35Letter, from John Beale to Mr Brewton23 March 1663
EL/B1/39Continuation of John Beale's proposal for transplanting East Indian spices and vegetables1 April 1664
EL/B1/55Copy of a letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle12 October 1670
EL/B1/57Letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society]6 December 1672
EL/B1/41Note on Hartlib's legacy and other pamphlets by John Beale20 January 1664
EL/B1/70Note, Emendations and Additions by John Beale26 April 1675
EL/OB/129Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle7 January 1666
EL/OB/119Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle6 February 1665
EL/OB/116Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle11 October 1665
EL/OB/99Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle25 February 1663
EL/OB/112Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle21 January 1663
EL/OB/130Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset24 January 1666
EL/OB/132Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle28 January 1666
EL/OB/125Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle30 July 1666
EL/OB/103Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset2 October 1663
EL/OB/100Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle25 February 1663
EL/OB/115Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset7 September 1665
EL/OB/126Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle10 August 1666
EL/OB/144Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset1 July 1682
EL/OB/105Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset9 November 1663
EL/OB/110Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset11 January 1663
EL/S1/1Copy of a letter, from Peter Smith to John Beale1663
EL/S1/4Copy of a letter, from Peter Smith to John Beale1664
EL/B1/76Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn, dated at Yeovil, Somerset27 August 1677
EL/B1/77Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn, dated at Yeovil, Somerset1 September 1677
EL/OB/124Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset13 July 1666
EL/OB/118Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle6 February 1665
EL/B1/69Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg17 April 1675
EL/B1/22Letter, from John Beale to William Brouncker16 February 1663
EL/B1/24Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle25 February 1663
EL/H1/106Letter, from N Highmore to John Beale, dated at Sherborne17 September 1669
EL/B1/66Copy of an extract of a letter, from John Beale to Dr Chamberlain1670s
CLP/3i/18Paper, 'The art of making parchment, vellum, glue etc' by John Beale14 December 1663
EL/V/28Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg4 February 1670
EL/OB/107Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle21 November 1663
EL/OB/113Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset25 April 1664
EL/OB/101Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset28 September 1663
EL/OB/137Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset26 October 1672
EL/OB/120Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset31 March 1666
EL/OB/128Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at London31 October 1666
EL/B1/32Letter, from John Beale to Mr B11 January 1663
EL/B1/54Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg15 March 1670
EL/OB/135Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset13 November 1671
EL/S1/115Letter, from Thomas Strode to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Maperton14 June 1672
EL/B1/18Extract of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg8 January 1663
EL/OB/140Letter, from John Beale to John Houghton, dated at Yeovil, Somerset1 February 1680
EL/OB/139Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset29 November 1676
EL/B1/37Summary of John Beale's proposal for transplanting East Indian spices by Henry Oldenburg1664
EL/OB/143Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset26 June 1682
EL/OB/142Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle2 March 1680
CLP/2/22Paper, 'Of chalcography an humble motion' by Beal [John Beale][17th century]
EL/B1/36Copy of a letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society]3 May 1664
EL/B1/20Extract of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg21 January 1663
EL/B1/16Copy of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg12 December 1662
EL/B1/17bExtract of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg4 January 1663
EL/B1/30Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn2 January 1663
EL/B1/26Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn6 April 1663
EL/B1/54bEssay on the causes of mineral springs further enquired the strange and secret changes of liquors' by John Beale to the publisher1670
EL/B1/73Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg10 August 1677
EL/B1/27Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn16 April 1663
MS/366/1/6From Utopia by John Beale. 28 January 1682
EL/B1/47Letter, from William Oakes to John Beale13 October 1664
EL/B1/31Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn2 January 1663
EL/B1/52Copy of a paper about experiments with sap from trees by John Beale1669
EL/B1/34Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn12 March 1663
EL/B1/58Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg13 January 1672
EL/B1/63Letter, from John Beale [to the Royal Society]1670s
EL/B1/48Copy of a letter, from Mr Glan to John BealeSeptember 1660
EL/OB/133Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset12 October 1670
EL/OB/104Letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle, dated at Yeovil, Somerset2 November 1663
EL/B1/68Copy of a letter, from John Beale to William Brounckernd
EL/B1/17Extract of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg21 December 1662
EL/B1/15Extracts from five letters, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg and other correspondents1656-1662
EL/B1/14Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg30 September 1659
EL/B1/21Extract of a letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg31 January 1663
EL/B1/61Letter, from Robert Hooke to John Beale1670s
EL/B1/38Paper, 'Proposalls and Considerations or rather enquyryes Concerning the transplanting East Indian spices and other, their usefull vegetables in the Weste Indies' by John Beale1 April 1664
EL/B1/56Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg16 July 1672
EL/B1/62Letter, from John Beale to Bishop Seth of Sarum [Seth Ward]1670s
EL/B1/40Copy of a letter, from John Beale to Robert Boyle25 April 1664
EL/B1/59Letter, from John Beale to Henry Oldenburg28 July 1673
EL/B1/49Account of farming in the eastern parts of Devonshire by unknown authorc 1664
EL/B1/46Letter, from William Oakes to John Beale 29 April 1664
EL/B1/74Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn, dated at Yeovil, Somerset22 August 1677
EL/B1/75Letter, from John Beale to John Evelyn, dated at Yeovil, Somerset25 August 1677
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