Simon Bredon facts for kids

Simon Bredon was an English expert in stars (an astronomer), numbers (a mathematician), and medicine (a physician). He was also a priest. Born around 1300, he lived until 1372.

He was part of a famous group of thinkers at Oxford University called the Merton School. He became a special member, called a Fellow, at Merton College around 1330, possibly staying until 1342. Before that, he was a student at Balliol College. He earned a special degree in medicine from Oxford University, becoming a Doctor of Medicine.

When he died, he left his important writings (called manuscripts) and science tools to different colleges at Oxford. One famous tool might have been his astrolabe (a device used to tell time and study stars) from around 1340, which he might have given to Oriel College. You can see it today at the Museum of the History of Science!

Simon Bredon's Work in Math

Simon Bredon was one of the very first people in Europe to work on trigonometry. This is a branch of mathematics that deals with triangles and angles, and it's super important for understanding shapes and distances.

Books and Writings

Some people think Simon Bredon wrote an important book called The equatorie of the planetis, which was about how planets move. However, others think the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer or someone else from that time wrote it. Another book, Theorica planetarum, was once thought to be his, but now experts believe Walter Brit wrote it.