Theodore Augustine Mann facts for kids
Theodore Augustine Mann, also known as the Abbé Mann, was an English scientist, historian, and a monk. He was born on June 22, 1735, and passed away on February 23, 1809.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Theodore Mann was born in Yorkshire, England. We don't know much about his early schooling. Around 1754, he left England and traveled to Paris, France. There, he was greatly influenced by a book called Discours sur l'histoire universelle by Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet. In 1756, he joined the Catholic Church in Paris.
A Life of Faith and Science
In 1756, a war started between France and England. Mann then moved to Spain. He joined a group of soldiers called dragoons. Later, he became a student at a military school in Barcelona. However, he soon decided that a military career was not for him.
He then went to Belgium and joined the Carthusian monastery in Nieuwpoort. This was the only English monastery of its kind at the time. After becoming a monk, he spent his free time studying science. He wrote a paper called Théorie des causes physiques des mouvements des corps célestes d'après les principes de Newton. This paper helped him become a member of the Imperial Academy of Brussels.
In 1764, he became the leader, or prior, of his monastery. Thirteen years later, he left the order. He received permission to leave and also to hold a special church position.
Life in Brussels and Prague
After leaving the monastery, Mann moved to Brussels. He received a position in the Chapter of Notre-Dame de Courtrai. In 1787, he was chosen to be the permanent secretary of the Brussels Academy. He conducted many weather observations for the academy.
In 1794, French forces invaded Belgium, and Mann had to leave. He traveled through Germany and England. Finally, he settled in Prague, where he continued his writing and studies until he passed away in 1809.
Mann was a very hardworking student and wrote many different things. It is said that he turned down the offer to become the Bishopric of Antwerp from Emperor Joseph II. He preferred to continue his favorite studies instead.
He was also chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1788.
Writings and Discoveries
Theodore Mann wrote many important books and papers. They showed how much he knew about different subjects. Some of his main works include:
- Mémoire et lettres sur l'étude de la langue grecque (Brussels, 1781);
- Mémoire sur la conservation et le commerce des grains (Mechlin, 1764);
- Abrégé de l'histoire ecclesiastique, civile, et naturelle de la ville de Bruxelles et de ses environs (Brussels, 1785), which he wrote with Johannes Franciscus Foppens;
- Histoire du règne de Marie Thérèse (Brussels, 1781; 2nd ed., 1786);
- Recueil de mémoires sur les grandes gelées et leurs effets (Ghent, 1792);
- Principes métaphysiques des êtres et des connaissances (Vienna, 1807).
He also wrote many papers for the Mémoires of the Brussels Academy.
He also translated an English book. It was published as Dictionnaire des Jardiniers et des Cultivateurs (Brussels, 1786–9).
Sources
- ODNB: Theodore Augustine Mann
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Theodore Augustine Mann". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton.
