Henry Miles facts for kids
Henry Miles (born June 2, 1698 – died February 10, 1763) was an English Christian minister and a smart writer about science. He was even a member of the important Royal Society, where he was known for doing cool experiments with electricity!
A Life of Learning and Faith
Henry Miles was born in a place called Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England, on June 2, 1698. He studied to become a Christian minister, likely in London. He started his work as a minister in Lower Tooting, Surrey. At first, he was part of a group called the Independents, who were Christians not part of the main Church of England. He officially became a minister in 1731.
In 1737, while still working in Tooting, he also started helping another minister, Samuel Chandler, at a place called the Old Jewry meeting-house. From then on, he was considered a Presbyterian, another group of Christians separate from the Church of England. He held both jobs until 1744. After that, he focused only on his work in Tooting.
Henry Miles was very dedicated. For thirty years, he spent two days a week writing his sermons. He would even wake up super early, between two and three in the morning, to get his writing done!
In 1743, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a big honor for scientists! The next year, in 1744, he received a special degree called a D.D. from the University of Aberdeen. He was friends with other important thinkers like Daniel Neal and Nathaniel Lardner. He also wrote letters to Philip Doddridge, giving ideas for his book, Family Expositor. Henry Miles passed away on February 10, 1763.
His Scientific Discoveries
Henry Miles wrote many articles for a famous science magazine called Philosophical Transactions. These articles were published between 1741 and 1753. He wrote about interesting topics like nature, weather, and especially electricity. He even did new experiments with electricity!
He also helped another scholar, Thomas Birch, prepare the writings of a very famous scientist named Robert Boyle for a new book in 1744.
