Thomas Lydiat facts for kids

Thomas Lydiat (born 1572, died 1646) was an English clergyman and a brilliant mathematician. He was especially known for his work on chronology, which is the study of arranging events in time. He even had debates with other famous thinkers of his time, like Joseph Justus Scaliger and Johannes Kepler, about how to correctly measure time and understand the movement of planets. Lydiat suggested that planets might move in oval paths, which was a very advanced idea for his era!

The Life of Thomas Lydiat

Early Years and Education

Thomas Lydiat was born in 1572 in a place called Alkerton, Oxfordshire. His father was a church leader there. When Thomas was just eleven years old in 1584, he won a special scholarship to Winchester College. After that, he went to New College, Oxford, and became a fellow there in 1591. He earned his first degree in 1595 and his master's degree in 1599.

A Focus on Math and Time

By 1603, Thomas decided to focus on mathematics and chronology. He found it hard to remember things and speak clearly, so he left his studies in divinity. In 1609, he dedicated one of his books, Emendatio Temporum, to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. The Prince was very impressed. He hired Lydiat as his official chronographer and cosmographer. This meant Lydiat would study and record time and the universe. The Prince also gave him a yearly payment and access to his large library. Around this time, he also met James Ussher, another important scholar.

Time in Ireland

Thomas Lydiat spent about two years in Dublin, Ireland. He became a fellow at Trinity College, Dublin in 1610 and earned another master's degree there. James Ussher helped him find a place to live and a job as a reader, which came with a salary. It seemed he might even become the head of The Royal School, Armagh. However, by 1611, he was back in London.

Challenges and Later Life

In 1612, the Prince of Wales sadly passed away. This meant Lydiat lost his important job and hopes for more advancements. That same year, he decided to take over his family's church position in Alkerton. He spent the next years deeply studying chronology. He also had many debates with Scaliger about his ideas. Lydiat even built a new rectory, or church house, in Alkerton in 1625. It was considered a very beautiful building.

Around 1629, Thomas Lydiat faced a big problem. He had promised to pay off his brother's debts. When his brother couldn't pay, Lydiat was sent to prison. He was held first in Oxford and then in London. Even in prison, he kept studying and bought books with any money he had. Luckily, several important people, including Sir William Boswell, Dr. Robert Pink, James Ussher, and William Laud, helped him get out of prison. After his release, he wanted to travel to faraway places like Turkey and Ethiopia to gather historical information, but the king did not allow it.

Later in his life, Lydiat was a strong supporter of the king. This caused him trouble during a time of conflict in England. His home was attacked more than once, and he was sent to prison again, first in Warwick and then in Banbury. Thomas Lydiat died in Alkerton on April 3, 1646. He was buried in his church the next day. Years later, a stone was placed over his grave, and a monument was built to remember him.

Published Works

Thomas Lydiat wrote many important books and papers. Here are some of his published works:

• Tractatus de variis Annorum formis (1605): This book was about different ways of counting years.
• Praelectio Astronomica de Natura Coeli et conditionibus Elementorum and Disquisitio Physiologica de origine fontium (1605): These were about the nature of the sky and how springs begin.
• Defensio Tractatus de variis Annorum formis contra J. Scaligeri observationes (1607): This defended his ideas against Scaliger's criticisms.
• Emendatio Temporum ab initio Mundi . . . contra Scaligerum et alios (1609): This work aimed to correct the timeline of the world from its beginning.
• Recensio et Explicatio argumentorum — insertia brevibus confutationibus opinionum I. Scaligeranae, Baronianae. . . atque Johannis Keppleri (1613): This reviewed and explained arguments against the ideas of Scaliger, Baronius, and Kepler.
• Solis et Lunae Periodus seu Annus Magnus (1620): This discussed the cycles of the sun and moon.
• De Anni Solaris Mensura Epistola astronomica ad Hen. Savilium (1620): An astronomical letter about measuring the solar year.
• Numerus Aureus mellioribus Lapillis insignatus, &c. (1621): About the "Golden Number," used in calculating the date of Easter.
• Canones Chronologici (1675): Published after his death, these were rules for chronology.
• Letters to Dr. Jam. Ussher, Primate of Ireland: His letters to James Ussher were published in 1686.
• Marmoreum Chronicon Arundelianum cum Annotationibus: Notes on an ancient marble chronicle.

After Lydiat died, people tried to gather his handwritten papers, called manuscripts, to publish them. Some of his manuscripts were found by chance in a countryman's cottage. Others were given to a scholar named Robert Plot. These papers eventually ended up in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.