John Strange (diplomat) facts for kids

John Strange (born 1732, died 1799) was an English diplomat and writer. He was known for his love of science and old artifacts.

Biography of John Strange

John Strange was born in Barnet, England, in 1732. He was the only son of Sir John Strange. John studied at home and then went to Clare Hall, Cambridge. He finished his studies in 1755. After his father passed away, John helped publish his father's book, Reports, in 1755. John was quite wealthy. After leaving Cambridge, he traveled a lot in southern France and Italy.

John became very interested in science and archaeology (the study of old things). He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1766. This is a special group for important scientists. Soon after, he also joined the Society of Antiquaries. In 1768, he explored South Wales. He then wrote about "Roman Remains in and near the City of Brecknock" for the Archæologia magazine.

In 1771, he went on an archaeology trip in northern Italy. In Padua, he met Alberto Fortis. Fortis had just returned from exploring towns on the Dalmatian coast. In November 1773, John Strange became the British representative in Venice. This was a diplomatic job. His work gave him time to continue his studies of ancient history. He left his job in 1788 and settled near Barnet. He visited Italy several more times. He brought back his large collections of books, old writings, ancient items, and paintings. Many of the paintings were by Bellini and other Venetian artists. In 1793, he received an honorary degree from Oxford University. He passed away on March 19, 1799.

John Strange's Writings

John Strange shared information about Roman writings and old items from Dalmatia and Istria. This area was not well known in Western Europe at the time. He got this information from Alberto Fortis. Besides writing for Archæologia, Strange also wrote many papers for the Philosophical Transactions.

Some of his interesting papers included:

• "An Account of the Origin of Natural Paper found near Cortona in Tuscany." This paper was about how natural paper formed in Italy. It was translated into Italian and expanded.
• "An Account of some Specimens of Sponges from Italy." This paper described different types of sponges. It included drawings he made.
• "An Account of a Curious Giant's Causeway newly discovered in the Euganean Hills, near Padua." This was about a unique rock formation in Italy.
• "An Account of the Tides in the Adriatic." This paper explained the ocean tides in the Adriatic Sea.

Many of his papers were also printed in other science journals. His papers about geology (the study of Earth's rocks and soil) appeared in a German book.

John Strange's Legacy

In his will, John Strange asked for all his collections to be sold. His paintings were sold privately. His prints, drawings, sculptures, coins, medals, bronze items, and ancient artifacts were sold by Christie's. His natural history collections were sold by King. His huge library of books was sold by Leigh & Sotheby's. The sale of his library alone took 29 days in 1801!

John Strange's Family

Around 1760, John Strange married Sarah Gould. She was the sister of Sir Henry Gould. Sarah passed away in Venice in April 1783. It seems they did not have any children.