Nathaniel Fairfax facts for kids
Nathaniel Fairfax (1637–1690) was an English man who was both a church leader and a doctor. He lived during an interesting time in England's history.
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Early Life and Education
Nathaniel Fairfax was born on July 24, 1637. He was the youngest of three sons. His father, Benjamin Fairfax, was a church leader in Rumburgh, Suffolk.
Nathaniel went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge for his education. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1661.
Career as a Church Leader
During a time when England was ruled without a king, Nathaniel became a church minister in Willisham, Suffolk. However, in 1662, he had to leave this job. This was because he did not agree with some new rules for church leaders.
Becoming a Doctor
After leaving his church role, Nathaniel decided to study medicine to earn a living. He went to Leyden University in 1670 and earned his medical degree. To get his degree, he wrote a special paper called De Lumbricis, which was about worms.
After finishing his studies, he moved back to England and started working as a doctor in Woodbridge, Suffolk.
His Unique Book
While in Woodbridge, Nathaniel wrote a very interesting book. It was called A Treatise of the Bulk and Selvedge of the World. In this book, he talked about how big or small things are and how long they last. What made his book special was that he tried to use only everyday English words. He wanted to avoid any fancy words that came from older languages like Latin or Greek.
Contributions to Science
Even though he wasn't a full member, Fairfax wrote some articles for the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. This was a famous science magazine of the time. One of his articles shared examples of unusual things found in nature, both in people and animals.
Family and Death
Nathaniel Fairfax passed away on June 12, 1690, and was buried in Woodbridge. He was married twice. With his first wife, Elizabeth Blackerby, he had eight children. Only one son, Blackerby Fairfax, and three daughters lived longer than him.
