John Chamber (academic) facts for kids

John Chamber (born May 1546 – died August 1604) was an English writer who studied the stars and planets (this is called astronomy) and also astrology. He was a smart scholar who taught at important colleges like Merton College, Oxford and later Eton College. He was also a church leader in the Church of England. John Chamber taught many subjects, including grammar, Greek, and medicine. Sometimes, his name is written in Latin as Johannes Chamberus.

His Life Story

Not much is known about John Chamber's early life or family before he went to Oxford University. We only know he was baptized in Swillington, Yorkshire, in May 1546.

University Days

In October 1568, John Chamber earned his first degree, a BA, from Merton College, Oxford. The next year, in December, he was chosen to be a "fellow" at his college. A fellow is like a special member who helps teach and study.

In October 1573, he earned his second degree, a MA. By this time, he had also become a church minister.

Teaching and New Ideas

In 1574, John Chamber became a teacher of grammar. He also gave a speech about Ptolemy's famous book, Almagest, which was about how the universe worked.

In 1576, he started teaching Greek. He was also chosen to teach medicine at Merton College, a role he had again in 1579.

A Big Change

In 1582, John Chamber's life changed a lot. He was chosen to be a fellow at Eton College, a famous school near Windsor. He left Oxford to move there.

In 1583, an important person named Lord Burghley asked John Chamber to join a special group. This group, which included Henry Savile and Thomas Digges, had to decide if England should start using the Gregorian calendar. This new calendar was suggested by John Dee. In 1584, Chamber also asked for permission to practice medicine.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1593, John Chamber received a special church position called a prebendary at Salisbury Cathedral. Later, in June 1601, he became a "canon" at St George's Chapel, Windsor. A canon is another type of church leader.

John Chamber passed away at Eton in August 1604. He was buried in St George's Chapel. A memorial there (which is now gone) said that he left £1,000 to Merton College. This money was to help two students from Eton go to Merton. He also left £50 to help poor people in Windsor.

His Writings

John Chamber wrote several important books.

Barlaam monachi logistice (1600)

In 1600, he published a book called Barlaam monachi logistice. He dedicated this book to Queen Elizabeth I. It was his translation of an old Greek book by Barlaam of Calabria called Logistica. This book was about the math used in astronomy. Henry Savile had sent it to him around 1582.

Treatise Against Judiciall Astrologie (1601)

After that, in 1601, Chamber wrote Treatise Against Judiciall Astrologie. This book argued against a type of astrology called "judicial astrology." This kind of astrology claimed to predict people's futures or important events based on the stars.

His book also included his old speech from 1574 about the Almagest, which he called Astronomiae encomium.

Arguments Against Astrology

In his Treatise, John Chamber strongly criticized judicial astrology. He said that astrologers of his time mostly just made almanacs (books with yearly calendars and predictions). He believed they did this because they were embarrassed by how many mistakes their "science" had.

He argued that astrology was less reliable than other ways of trying to predict the future. He even joked, "Could an astrologer make a horoscope for the eggs in a bird's nest?" He thought only foolish people would trust it.

The Astrology Debate

John Chamber's strong opinions led to a big debate. A writer named Christopher Heydon wrote a long book in 1603 called A Defence of Judicial Astrology. Heydon claimed that Chamber had misunderstood the people he quoted and had even copied from them.

Chamber wrote a reply in 1604 called A confutation of astrological demonology, or, The divell's schole. This book is now only found as a handwritten copy at the Bodleian Library and might never have been officially published. Another person, George Carleton, also wrote against Heydon. His book, Astrologomania: The Madnesse of Astrologers, was published later in 1624.