| Authorised form of name | Willughby; Francis (1635 - 1672); naturalist |
| Other forms of surname | Willoughby |
| Dates | 1635 - 1672 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Middleton, Warwickshire, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 22 November 1635 |
| Place of death | Middleton Hall, Warwickshire, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 3 July 1672 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Middleton Church, Warwickshire, England, Europe |
| Research field | Zoology |
| Natural history |
| Activity | Education:
Sutton Coldfield School; Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1655/6; MA 1659); studied at the Bodleian Library, Oxford (1660)
Career:
Accompanied John Ray (FRS 1667) on botanical research trips through Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire (1660-1662); travelled extensively in Europe (1663-1666) and to the south-west of England with Ray (1667); his work 'Ornithology' published posthumously by Ray (1676; 1678)
|
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| Proposer | John Wilkins |
| Royal Society activity | Committee and panels:
Committee for the Histories of Trade (1664) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Admitted 4 December 1661 and 1 October 1662; Involved in experiments and demonstrations of botanical and zoological nature (1662); Pledged £80 in support of the Royal Society College at Arundel House (1667-1668); Frequent correspondent to the Society and sent independent research in natural history; 'Historia piscium' published posthumously by the Royal Society (1686); 'Historia insectorum' published posthumously by the Royal Society (1710), having been edited by William Derham (FRS 1703) |
| Relationships | Parents: Sir Francis Willughby and Cassandra Ridgeway
Married: Emma Barnard
Children: Francis Willughby; Cassandra Willughby; Thomas Willughby (FRS 1693); son-in-law James Brdyges (FRS 1694)
Additional relatives: cousin of Peter Courthope (FRS 1668) |
| Published works | RCN: 18575
RCN: 18576
RCN: 18574 |
| General context | Willughby is credited with a profound influence on the history of botany, zoology and on natural history. His new ways of animal classifications, published posthumously by John Ray, and in particular his work on ornithology were also impactful for natural history writers and the development of Linneaus' binomical nomenclature. Prior to his death, Willughby had planned a trip to America in order to expand his zoological knowledge, although this never happened. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Venn; Foster; ODNB
References:
R K Bluhm, 'Remarks on the Royal Society's Finances, 1660-1768' in NR 1958 vol 13 pp 82-103
E N da C Andrade, 'The Birth and Early Days of the Philosophical Transactions' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 9-27
Charles A Rivington, 'Early Printers to the Royal Society 1663-1708' in NR 1984-85 vol 39 pp 1-27
William T Stearn, 'The Wilkins Lecture, 1985. John Wilkins, John Ray and Carl Linnaeus' in NR 1985-86 vol 40 pp 101-123
Sachiko Kusukawa, 'The Historia Piscium (1686)' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 179-197
Susan McMahon, 'John Ray (1627-1705) and the Act of Uniformity 1662' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 153-178
R Lewis, 'The publication of John Wilkins's Essay (1668): some contextual considerations' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp133-146
N J W Thrower, 'Samuel Pepys FRS (1633-1733) and The Royal Society' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 3-13
A Cook, 'Rome and the Royal Society, 1660-1740' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 3-19
Notes:
The election date is Willughby'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 4 December 1661 and 1 October 1662 .The double admission dates are taken from the Journal Book. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/76431571 |
| Royal Society code | NA8374 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| RBO/4/22 | 'Experiments concerning the Motion of the sap in Trees made this Spring 1669' by Francis Willughby and John Ray | 1669 |
| LBO/3/55 | Copy of a letter from Henry Oldenburg, London, to Francis Willughby | 15 June 1669 |
| CLP/8i/13 | Copy paper, 'The eclipse was observ'd by Francis Willoughby [Willughby], [Walter] Pope, [Henry] Phillips and myself in Gresham College, London, 22 June 1666' by Robert Hooke | 1666 |
| CLP/8i/13a/2 | Diagram, solar eclipse by unknown artist | 1666 |
| CLP/15i/2 | Paper, 'An account of the reproduction of insects' by Francis Willughby | [1661] |
| EL/O2/90 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 6 July 1672 |
| EL/O2/20 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 20 January 1670 |
| EL/W3/36 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 4 July 1670 |
| EL/W3/39 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg | 19 August 1670 |
| EL/W3/43 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg | 1671 |
| EL/W3/35 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 7 June 1670 |
| EL/W3/44 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 10 July 1671 |
| EL/W3/33 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Warwickshire | 12 March 1670 |
| EL/O1/123 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 15 June 1669 |
| EL/W3/37 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 19 July 1670 |
| EL/W3/41 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 13 January 1671 |
| CLP/10i/12 | Paper, 'Experiments concerning the motion of the sap in trees made this spring' by Francis Willughby and Mr [John] Wray [Ray] | [1669] |
| EL/A/28 | Minutes of the Dublin Philosophical Society, sent by St George Ashe, dated at Trinity College Dublin | 30 May 1685 |
| CLP/8i/13a/1 | Manuscript, 'The eclipse of the Sun' by Francis Willughby, [Walter] Pope, [Henry] Phillips and Robert Hooke | 1666 |
| CLP/8i/8 | Plate, Saturn and Jupiter by Joseph Campani | 1664 |
| EL/W3/32 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 29 January 1669 |
| EL/O1/124 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 9 July 1669 |
| CLP/3i/54 | Paper, 'Animadversiones in novam theoriam motus a viris Dno Christophoro Wren et Dno Christiano Hugenio' ['Amendments to the new theory of motion of Christopher Wren and Christian Huygens'] by Francis Willughby | [1669] |
| CLP/8i/13a | Paper, 'The eclipse of the Sun' by Francis Willughby, [Walter] Pope, [Henry] Phillips and Robert Hooke | 1666 |
| EL/O2/44 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 21 January 1670 |
| EL/O2/53 | Letter, from Henry Oldenburg to Francis Willughby, dated at London | 27 July 1671 |
| EL/W3/30 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 29 May 1669 |
| EL/W3/31 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 21 June 1669 |
| EL/W3/34 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 16 April 1670 |
| EL/W3/38 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 23 July 1669 |
| EL/W3/40 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 2 September 1670 |
| EL/W3/42 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 16 March 1671 |
| EL/W3/45 | Letter, from Francis Willughby to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Middleton | 24 August 1671 |
| RBO/3/49 | 'Account Of the Eclipse of the Sun' by Robert Hooke | nd |