Richard Waller (naturalist) facts for kids
Richard Waller was an English scientist, artist, and translator who lived a long time ago. He was a very important member and secretary of the Royal Society, a famous group of scientists in London. He helped share new scientific ideas with the world.
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Who Was Richard Waller?
Richard Waller was born sometime in the 1650s and passed away in 1715. We don't know much about his early life. He became a member of the Royal Society on April 27, 1681. This was a big deal because the Royal Society was, and still is, one of the most important scientific groups in the world.
His Work at the Royal Society
Richard Waller was a very active member of the Royal Society. He served as their secretary for many years, from 1687 to 1709, and again from 1710 to 1714. He was also on the Royal Society's council from 1686 to 1699. During the time Isaac Newton was president, Waller was the Vice-President.
Publishing Scientific Ideas
From 1691 to 1695, Waller was the editor of the Philosophical Transactions. This was a very important scientific magazine. He also translated scientific papers that came from other countries. This helped scientists in England learn about discoveries made elsewhere.
Important Contributions
One of Waller's important works was his book Essays of Natural Experiments. This book was a translation of a collection of essays from a famous Italian science group called the Accademia del Cimento. It was one of the first important books published by the Royal Society.
Waller was also a talented artist. He made many drawings of plants, which are called botanical illustrations. These drawings might have been for a book by another famous scientist, John Ray. He also drew pictures of fossils. These fossil drawings were found much later with drawings by Robert Hooke.
Working with Robert Hooke
When Robert Hooke, another famous scientist, died in 1703, his notes and papers were given to Richard Waller. Waller worked to organize and publish some of Hooke's writings. These were published in 1705 as Hooke’s Posthumous Works. Waller and Hooke often traded books because Waller had a very large library.
His Family Life
In 1685, Richard Waller married Anne Blackwell. Her father was Jonathan Blackwell, a wine merchant from Bristol. Anne Blackwell was known for helping to pay for the building of the Christmas Steps. Sadly, none of Richard and Anne's children lived to be adults.
Because they had no surviving children, Richard Waller's property went to his wife, Anne, after he died. This included his large library and a house in Northaw, Hertfordshire. Anne later made her younger brother, Jonathan Blackwell, her only heir. This Jonathan Blackwell was also a member of the Royal Society, nominated by Waller, but he wasn't very active in science.
When Did He Die?
Richard Waller most likely passed away at his home in Northaw, Hertfordshire. This happened sometime between December 23, 1714, and January 13, 1715.
