Walter Pope facts for kids

Walter Pope was an English astronomer and poet who lived a long time ago, from about 1627 to 1714. He was a very smart person who studied the stars and wrote poems. He was born in Northamptonshire, England. His half-brother was John Wilkins, who helped start the famous Royal Society.

Early Life and Learning

Walter Pope went to Wadham College, Oxford, which is a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1649 and a master's degree in 1651. For a while, he worked at Wadham College. This was before a time known as the English Restoration, when the king returned to power in England.

A Life of Science

In 1660, Walter Pope became a professor of astronomy at Gresham College in London. He took over this important job from Sir Christopher Wren, who was a very famous architect. Pope also became the Dean of Wadham College, which is a high position there.

He was one of the first people to join the Royal Society. This was a group of important scientists who met to share new ideas and discoveries. Walter Pope was very active in the Royal Society during the 1660s. He even had two letters published in Philosophical Transactions, which was like a science magazine for the Royal Society. He also traveled to France and Italy and sent reports back to the society from Italy.

Later Years

In 1686, Walter Pope got a serious eye infection. Because of this, he had to stop teaching in 1687. Later, in 1693, his collection of books was sadly destroyed in a fire.

Some people thought he was a very religious and devoted person. He published collections of his poems and translations in 1698. Walter Pope passed away in 1714. He left his money and belongings to a woman named Anne Shargold, who had taken care of him when he was sick. He was buried in a church called St. Giles, Cripplegate.