| Authorised form of name | Southwell; Sir; Robert (1635 - 1702); diplomat and government official |
| Dates | 1635 - 1702 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Battin Warwick, on the river Bandon, near Kinsale, Ireland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 31 December 1635 |
| Place of death | King's Weston, Gloucestershire, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 11 September 1702 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Henbury Church, Gloucestershire, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Civil servant |
| Activity | Education:
Queen's College, Oxford; BA (1655), DCL (1677); Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1654)
Career:
Travelled abroad (1659-1661); Clerk to the Commission of Prizes (1664-1667); Clerk to the Privy Council (1664-1679); Deputy Vice-Admiral of the Provinces of Munster (1665), Vice-Admiral (1677); Envoy extraordinary to Portugal (1665-1669), Flanders (1671-1672) and to the Elector of Brandenburg (1680); Chief Commissioner of Excise (1671-1681); Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1673-1680, Westminster (1677-1680), Gloucestershire (1679-1680, 1689-1690); MP for Penrhyn (1673-1679), Lostwithiel (1685-1687); Commissioner of Customs (1689-1697); Deputy-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire (1689-1694); Principal Secretary of State for Ireland (1690-1702); Privy Councillor, Ireland (1690-death); endowed an almshouse for eight helpless men and women on his estate at Dromderrick, Kinsale (1682)
Honours:
Kt 1665
|
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| Proposer | Robert Boyle |
| Royal Society activity | Royal Society roles:
On Council (1670; 1674-1676; 1678; 1680-1681); PRS 1690-1695; VP 1695; 1698
Committee and panels:
Committee to examine the structure and sailing of Sir William Petty's new ship (1662) ; Mechanical Committee (1664) ; Committee for the Histories of Trades (1664) ; Committee for improving the English language (1664) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Admitted 7 May 1662; Correspondent to the Society and submits samples of oils and plants (1659); Brought into a horn allegedly from a unicorn as well as other animal samples (1662); Asked to contribute to plans for Society's college (1668) |
| Relationships | Parents: Robert Southwell and Helena Gore
Married: Elizabeth Dering
Children: Edward Southwell (FRS 1692)
Additional relatives: uncle-by-marriage of Sir John Percivale (FRS 1681) |
| General context | During the Commonwealth period, Southwell's profited from the Cromwell administrations and his property in Kinsale increased, which in turn enabled the younger Southwell to travel abroad. A possible motive for these travels was to create and improve relationships with exiled royalists. Later, Southwell earned roughly £1000 from property in Ireland. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Foster; Henning; ODNB
References:
Marco Beretta, 'At the source of Western science: the organization of experimentalism at the Accadmeia del Cimento (1657-1667)' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 131-151
Susana Gomez Lopez, 'The Royal Society and Post-Galilean Science in Italy' in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 35-44
Penelope M Gouk, 'Acoustics in the Early Royal Society 1660-1680' in NR 1981-82 vol 36 pp 155-175
T Quinn, 'In this issue' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 245 - 247
Notes:
The election date is Southwell's re-election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. He was previously admitted into the Society on 7 May 1662. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/51758315 |
| Royal Society code | NA8282 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| IM/004326 | Southwell, Sir Robert | 2001 |
| MS/14 | Varias receitas e segredos da medicina: anonymous medical receipts | c.1669 |
| EL/S1/15 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin | 10 December 1662 |
| EL/C2/7 | Letter, from Mr Crisp to Robert Southwell | 20 November 1681 |
| RBO/7/60 | 'A paper of experiments relating to the Phosphorus' communicated by Robert Southwell | nd |
| MM/15/36 | "A list of 20 medals found in a Pott full of the like sort found 1691 in the Island of Calde...by the proprietor Mr John Williams and by him sent to Sr Robert Southwell" | 17th century |
| RBO/7/123 | 'An Account of the Copper works on the Avon three miles about Bristol' communicated by Robert Southwell | nd |
| MM/20/56 | Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell | 18 November 1682 |
| MM/20/55 | Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell | 16 May 1682 |
| RBO/7/69 | 'Several Experiments about giveing Variety of Tinctures to water etc' by Robert Southwell | nd |
| RBO/7/120 | 'An Account of Mr Gordons Voyage in his Majesties Ship to the Levant' communicated by Robert Southwell | 1696 |
| RBO/7/59 | 'The way of makeing Globe Looking glasses' by Robert Southwell | nd |
| MM/20/57 | Letter from Thomas Henshaw to Robert Southwell | 23 December 1682 |
| NLB/11/670 | Copy letter from Theodore E James, to J N Brushfield, The Cliff, Budleigh Salterton | 10 September 1895 |
| MM/23/1 | Letter from Sir Robert Southwell, Lisbon, to John Kempthorne, Bay of Wares | 9 April 1667 |
| MM/23/2 | Letter from James Tisdall, Dublin, to Sir Robert Southwell, at the Council Office, Whitehall | 15 March 1680 [1681] |
| MS/390/48 | Bond of Sir Robert Southwell to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 30 November 1674 |
| DM/5/101 | A list of benefactors to the Museum, to the value of £5 or upwards at one time | c.1737 |
| EL/P1/87 | Letter, from Giles Pooley to Robert Southwell | 25 October 1684 |
| RBO/7/77 | 'An Account of a Monstrous Calf with two Heads' by Robert Southwell | nd |
| IM/004325 | Southwell, Sir Robert | nd |
| CLP/7i/27 | Paper, 'An extract of severall relations, deliver'd by P Hieronymo Lobo, a Jesuite, and an eye-witnesse of most of the particulars contained therewith, and by the same command, cared to [Robert] Southwell, who generously imparted it for publication' by Jerónimo Lobo | [17th Century] |
| MOB/017 | English oak wainscot chair | 1691 |
| P/0122 | Portrait of Southwell, Sir Robert | 1690s |
| CLP/9i/47 | Paper, 'An account of the damage that hapnd in the Isle of Portland the 3rd of February 1695' by unknown author | [1695] |
| CLP/9i/36/1 | Manuscript, 'Pen Parke Hole' by unknown author | [1682] |
| CLP/19/15 | Paper, 'A memoriall for Robert Southwell in Portugal' by the Royal Society | 20 September 1665 |
| CLP/9i/36/2 | Plate, 'The profile and ground plott of a concave in Pen-Park near Bristol in Gloucestershire' by unknown artist | [1682] |
| EL/A/42 | Letter, from St George Ashe to Robert Southwell | 12 February 1694 |
| EL/S1/20 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Captain Shanon, dated at Lisbon | 10 December 1667 |
| EL/C2/20 | Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Bristol | 16 November 1695 |
| EL/S1/12 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin | 11 February 1662 |
| EL/S1/14 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg | nd |
| EL/S1/13 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin | 17 June 1663 |
| EL/S1/23 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Hans Sloane, dated at King's Weston | 13 October 1697 |
| EL/C2/16 | Extract of a letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Hullavington | 15 March 1693 |
| EL/G1/66 | Letter, from Patrick Gordon to Robert Southwell | 26 February 1696 |
| EL/I1/142 | Letter, from Henry Justel to Robert Southwell | 13 May 1693 |
| EL/I1/137 | Letter, from Henry Justel to Robert Southwell | 1692 |
| EL/C2/18 | Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell, dated at Bradfield dated at Bradfield | 14 July 1693 |
| EL/S1/19 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Colonel Dempsey, dated at Lisbon | 10 December 1667 |
| EL/P1/95 | Letter, from Robert Plot to Robert Southwell, dated at London | 24 October 1694 |
| EL/S1/18 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Mr Smith, dated at Lisbon | 9 December 1667 |
| EL/S1/16 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin | 4 February 1662 |
| EL/S1/22 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Robert Hooke, dated at Custom House | 7 September 1692 |
| EL/S1/21 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Lisbon | 16 March 1669 |
| EL/S1/17 | Letter, from Robert Southwell to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Dublin | 26 April 1663 |
| CLP/3ii/1 | Paper, 'The method the Indians in Virginia and Carolina use to dress buck and doe-skins' by unknown author | [1691] |
| EL/C2/13 | Letter, from Dethlevus Cluverus to Robert Southwell, dated at Sleswig | 4 November 1691 |
| CLP/15i/55 | Paper, 'Account of a monstrous calf with two heads' by Robert Southwell | March 1698 |
| CLP/15i/53 | Paper, 'Of the humming bird' by Robert Southwell | October 1697 |
| EL/C2/17 | Letter, from William Cole to Robert Southwell at King's Weston | 16 September 1693 |
| EL/O1/120 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Robert Southwell, dated at London | 8 June 1669 |
| CLP/9i/36 | Paper, 'Pen Parke Hole' by unknown author | [1682] |
| RBO/4/59 | 'A Discourse made by Sir Robert Southwell ... about water' | 1675 |
| RBO/7/63 | 'Several Experiments concerning preserving of flowers Fruits etc in their Colours' by Robert Southwell | nd |
| RBO/7/94 | Nicholas Holloway's method to achieving fine Malaga wine communicated by Robert Southwell | nd |
| CLP/4i/39 | Paper, 'An account of a hurricane in which the polarity of the needle was changed', communicated by Sir Isaac Newton | 1683 |
| MC/17 | Volume 17 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1897-1899 |