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Authorised form of nameWaller; Richard (c1646 - 1715); natural philosopher and translator
Datesc1646 - 1715
NationalityBritish
Date of birthc. 1646
Date of deathJanuary 1715
Research fieldBotany
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election27/04/1681
ProposerWilliam Croone
Royal Society activityRoyal Society roles:
Secretary 1687-1709, 1710-1714; Vice-President 1709-?; Council 1684, 1686-1699 ; Editor of the 'Philosophical Transactions': 1692-1696 (assisted by Edmond Halley, Hans Sloane and others)
Other Royal Society activityTranslated foreign contributions to the 'Philosophical Transactions';
Had papers published in the 'Transactions' on a variety of topics, including natural history;
Edited Robert Hooke's (FRS 1663) papers after his death (1705);
Built the Society's 'repository' at a cost of £400 and accepted £300 as payment on the condition he be listed as a benefactor (1712)
RelationshipsParents: Mary Waller (afterwards More)
Married: Anna Blackwell
Additional relatives: brother-in-law Alexander Pitfeild (FRS 1684) and Jonas Blackwell (FRS 1692)
Published worksRCN: 39415
RCN: 57977
RCN: 45226
General contextSome sources have identified Waller as James Waller's son, who attended Christ's College, Cambridge. However, the identity of Waller's mother is stated clearly in his will as Mrs Mary More and there are no records of the Fellow Richard Waller having attended any British university. He held connections with the businessmen in the Society's ranks, e.g. James Pettiver (FRS 1695) and Abraham Hill (FRS 1660). He was a close acquaintance of Robert Hooke (FRS 1663), whose papers he later edited and published. One of his most important translations was his 'Essays of Natural Experiments', translated from the Italian Accademia del Cimento's 'Saggi di naturali esperienze'. Waller was a keen illustrator of scientific ideas and saw the importance of visual displays of knowledge.
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Waller_RS9666.jpg

SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; Venn; Hunter; NR; ODNB
References:
Bennett, J A. 1972-73. 'Wren's Last Building?', in Notes and Records, vol. 27, pp. 107-118
Ezell, M J M. 1983-84. 'Richard Waller, SRS: 'In Pursuit of Nature'', in Notes and Records, vol. 38, pp. 215-233
Jardine, L. 2004. 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 107-129
Kusukawa S. 2011. 'Picturing knowledge in the early Royal Society: the examples of Richard Waller and Henry Hunt', in Notes and Records, vol. 65, pp. 273-294
Rivington, C A. 1985-86. 'Addendum. Early Printers to the Royal Society, 1663-1708', in Notes and Records, vol. 40, pp.219-220
Notes:
ODNB has approx. 1660 as year of birth. Venn has a Richard Waller with an estimated lifespan between 1646 and 1744.
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/74234132
Royal Society codeNA6739
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
EL/L5/127Letter, from Owen Lloyd to Richard Waller, dated at Dublin31 March 1694
EL/L5/125Letter, from Owen Lloyd to Richard Waller, dated at Dublin25 July 1692
EL/L5/126Letter, from Owen Lloyd to Richard Waller, dated at Dublin31 October 1693
MM/4/66Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to Morice Emmet16 August 1714
MM/4/65Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to Edward Norris20 August 1714
IM/005649Waller, Richard2003
IM/004772Waller, Richard2002
MM/4/67Letter from R Waller, Crane Court, to John Jackson11 August 1714
EL/W3/80Letter, from Richard Waller to Antoni van LeeuwenhoekFebruary 1714
EL/W3/88Letter, from Richard Waller to Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoeknd
EL/W3/85Letter, from Richard Waller to Francois-Xavier Bon7 May 1714
RBO/22Volume 1 of index to the journal, register and letter books1661-1689
MM/1/18Letter from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller10 March 1715
RBO/9/112'Paper concerning the mineral called Zaffora by Dr Merrett found amongst Dr Hooks Papers' by Richard Waller1713
IM/005650Waller, Richard2003
IM/005656Waller, Richard2003
IM/005657Waller, Richard2003
IM/004734Waller, RichardOctober 2004
MS/390/77Bond of Richard Waller to the Treasurer of the Royal Society3 January 1682
NLB/68/57Copy letter from James Hopwood Jeans, Secretary of the Royal Society; to G. A. Armour Esq.; Allison House, Princeton, New Jersey7 May 1925
CLP/22i/35Paper, Account of [Johannes Conradus] Peyeri's 'Parerga Anatomica et medica septem etc' by Richard Wallerc.17th century
CLP/15i/38Paper, 'The description and figure of a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa]' by Richard WallerMarch 1689
IM/004771Waller, Richardnd
RBO/9/99'Some Few Remarks on Dr Papin's New Improvement of the Hassian Bellows' by Richard Waller1711
RBO/23Volume 2 of index to the journal, register and letter books1689-1695
RBO/6/91'A Catalogue of simple and Mixt colours with a specimen of each, Colour prefixt to its proper Name' by Richard Waller nd
P/0137Portrait of Waller, Richardc1700
DM/5/100A list of benefactors to the Library, to the value of £5 or upwards at one time c.1737
RBO/3/0Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 31687
MS/131Royal Society 'scrap book': scientific illustrations from the Philosophical Transactions and other sources17th-18th Century
CLP/6/44Table, regarding tides at Bristol [England] in 1687 by Richard Waller1687
CLP/18i/79Paper, regarding Richard Waller's criticisms of the clock design made in December 1712 by Denis Papin[1712]
CLP/15i/40Paper, 'Some observations made on the spawn of froggs and of the production of todpoles therein' by Richard WallerDecember 1690
EL/W2/46Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford26 April 1694
EL/W2/52Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford22 August 1695
EL/E/5Letter, from John Evelyn to Richard Waller, dated at Wotton7 May 1694
EL/M2/33Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston29 November 1712
EL/L2/35Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft22 April 1692
EL/W3/68Letter, from Richard Waller to Hans Sloane4 December 1699
EL/M2/5Letter, from Daniel Mitz to Richard Waller, dated at Amsterdam16 April 1693
EL/M2/31Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston27 November 1712
EL/S2/12Letter, from Hans Sloane to Richard Waller1692
EL/W2/47Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller6 December 1694
EL/W3/86Letter, from Richard Waller to Consul Sherrard, dated at Crane Court1 July 1714
EL/W3/89Letter, from Richard Waller to Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek1714
EL/W3/69Letter, from Richard Waller to Hans Sloane4 March 1699
EL/W2/45Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford20 February 1694
EL/W3/91Letter, from Richard Waller to Dr HoyesAugust 1714
EL/L2/42Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft19 January 1694
EL/W3/70Letter, from Richard Waller to Hans Sloane5 October 1707
EL/W3/72Letter, from Richard Waller to Joseph Valetta at Naples, dated at London5 June 1712
EL/W3/71Letter, from Richard Waller to Joseph Valetta at Naples1712
EL/M2/29Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston25 November 1712
EL/W3/77Notes on Cotton Mather's letters by Richard Waller1713
EL/L2/48Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft12 February 1694
EL/C2/24Letter, from John Clayton to Richard Waller20 June 1694
EL/W2/51Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford25 June 1695
EL/I1/139Letter, from Henry Justel to Richard Waller23 July 1693
EL/N1/77Letter, from J[ohn] Northleigh to Richard Waller9 August 1695
EL/L2/42aLetter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft1 July 1693
EL/W2/50Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller31 May 1695
EL/W3/92Letter, from Richard Waller to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at London19 August 1714
EL/S2/6Letter, from Robert Sibbald to Richard Waller, dated at Edinburgh25 December 1693
EL/W3/67Letter, from Richard Waller to Sylvester Bonsiliolus, dated at London15 July 1696
EL/A/44Letter, from Mr A [Francis Aston] to his publisher [Richard Waller]1693
EL/E/6Letter, from John Evelyn to Richard Waller, dated at Wotton13 March 1698
EL/L2/53Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft14 September 1694
EL/L2/52Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft26 May 1694
EL/W3/78Letter, from Richard Waller to Dr Hoye in Jamaica, dated at London4 February 1714
EL/W3/81Copy of a letter, from Richard Waller to John Flamsteed, dated at Crane Court4 March 1714
EL/C2/19Letter, from William Cole to Richard Waller, dated at Bristol13 December 1693
EL/W3/90Letter, from Richard Waller to John FlamsteedJuly 1714
EL/O2/179Letter, from Edward Owen to Richard Waller1695
EL/D1/61Letter, from William Derham to Richard Waller, dated at Upminster23 June 1714
EL/W2/53Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford27 August 1695
EL/W3/73Letter, from Richard Waller to Tomaso Campailla, dated at London1713
EL/M2/30Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston26 November 1712
EL/W3/74Letter, from Richard Waller to James Perpoint, dated at LondonJune 1713
EL/W2/44Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford17 June 1693
EL/S2/3Letter, from Robert Sibbald to Richard Waller, dated at Edinburgh11 July 1693
EL/W2/49Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford30 April 1695
EL/W3/93Letter, from Richard Waller to Prince Alexander Menzicoff, dated at London21 October 1714
EL/W3/75Letter, from Richard Waller to Cotton Mather , dated at London22 July 1713
CLP/20/96/1Paper, 'An account of ye feltmakers' trade found amongst the late Dr Robert Hooke's Papers by Mr R. [Richard] Waller'. 17th century
EL/D1/55Letter, from William Derham to Richard Waller, dated at Upminster3 December 1711
EL/W3/66Letter, from Richard Waller to Vincent Vivianus of Florence, dated at London1694
EL/W3/76Letter, from Richard Waller to Cotton Mather, dated at London23 December 1713
EL/L2/36Translation of a letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft1692
EL/W2/58Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller, dated at Oxford19 February 1696
EL/W3/83Letter, from Richard Waller to Tomaso Campailla, dated at London1714
RBO/12/6'Sectio oculorum duorum Cataracta affectorum' from a letter to Richard Waller by Samuel Molyneux 1724
RBO/9/101'Some Remarks upon Dr Papins Paper concerning an Invention to Improve Clockwork' by Richard Waller1711
RBO/7/85Observations sent from the East Indies - answers to queries sent there by Richard Wallernd
CLP/15i/37/2Figures, relating to 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard Waller1688
CLP/15i/40/1Manuscript, 'Some observations made on the spawn of froggs and of the production of todpoles therein' by Richard Waller1690
CLP/15i/37/1Manuscript, 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard Waller1688
CLP/15i/37Paper, 'Observations on the dissection of a paroquett [parakeet]' by Richard WallerDecember 1688
CLP/3ii/8Paper, 'Some few remarks on Dr Papin's new improvement of the Hessian bellows' by Ric [Richard] Waller[1711]
EL/W2/59Letter, from John Wallis to Richard Waller1695
RBO/4/0Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 41687
EL/W3/84Letter, from Richard Waller to Pierre Remond de Monmort from Paris7 May 1714
EL/R1/18Letter, from John Ray to Richard Waller, dated at Black Notley19 May 1691
EL/M2/35Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston21 June 1714
EL/S2/4Letter, from Robert Sibbald to Richard Waller, dated at Edinburgh25 September 1693
RBO/1/51Index, 'A table of discourses, experiments, enquiries &c. contained in this register for the year 1661 & 1662', by Richard Waller1687
EL/S2/13Letter, from Hans Sloane to Richard Waller, dated at London22 August 1694
CLP/15i/38/1Manuscript, 'The description and figure of a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa]' by Richard Waller1689
CLP/15i/40/2Figures, tadpole lifecycle by Richard Waller1690
CLP/15i/38/2Figures, a scorpion from Barbary [North Africa] by Richard Waller1689
EL/L5/124Letter, from Owen Lloyd to Richard Waller, dated at Trinity College Dublin3 June 1693
CLP/14i/45Paper, ‘A relatione of a strange sleeper’ by William Oliver[1690s]
RBO/2ii/69Table, listing the experiments, discourses contained in RBO/2ii1687
RBO/5/25Index, listing the experiments, enquiries & discourses contained in Register Book 51688
RBO/6/92'In Usum Exterorum visum est Praefatiunculam hanc atque Catalogum colorum Latinitate donare'nd
EL/C2/22Letter, from John Clayton to Richard Waller, dated at Wakefield24 November 1693
EL/D1/56Letter, from William Derham to Richard Waller, dated at Upminster14 January 1711
EL/D1/60Letter, from William Derham to Richard Waller, dated at Upminster30 November 1713
EL/L2/45Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Richard Waller, dated at Delft8 December 1693
EL/M2/28Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston24 November 1712
EL/M2/32Letter, from Cotton Mather to Richard Waller, dated at Boston28 November 1712
EL/W3/82Letter, from Richard Waller to Antonio Vallisnerio, dated at London1714
EL/W3/87Letter, from Richard Waller to Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at London22 June 1714
LBOLetter Book of the Royal Society: 'original' copies1661-1740
EL/W3/79Letter, from Richard Waller to Cotton Mather1712
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