Paul Neile
Encyclopedia
Sir Paul Neile FRS was an English astronomer and politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1640 and from 1673 to 1677.
Neile was born at Westminster, the son of Richard Neile
, later Archbishop of York
. He was admitted at Pembroke College, Cambridge
on 20 May 1627 aged 14 and was awarded BA in 1631. He was one of the ushers of the Privy Chamber to King Charles I, and was knighted on 27 May 1633 when he was of Hutton Bonville York.
In April 1640, Neile was elected Member of Parliament
for Ripon
in the Short Parliament
. During the interregnum he was living at White Waltham
, Berkshire where he studied astronomy and built telescopes. Sir Christopher Wren
was using Neile's telescope at White Waltham in 1655 and in 1658 Neile gave a 35 foot telescope to Gresham College. He was one of the twelve founder members of the Royal Society
and in 1661 the Society "desired him to continue his empoyment of the artificer for making glasses for perspectives".
In 1673 Neile was elected MP for Newark
together with his business partner Henry Savile. However his election was unpopular and contested and he was unable to take his seat properly in the next four years. The election was eventually declared void on 21 Mar 1677.
Neile died at the age of 73.
Neile married Elizabeth Clarke, daughter of Gabriel Clarke, D.D., Archdeacon of Durham. Their son William Neile
was a mathemetician and astronomer.
.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1640 and from 1673 to 1677.
Neile was born at Westminster, the son of Richard Neile
Richard Neile
Richard Neile was an English churchman, bishop of several English dioceses and Archbishop of York from 1631 until his death.-Early life:...
, later Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. He was admitted at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
on 20 May 1627 aged 14 and was awarded BA in 1631. He was one of the ushers of the Privy Chamber to King Charles I, and was knighted on 27 May 1633 when he was of Hutton Bonville York.
In April 1640, Neile was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ripon
Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)
Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.-History:...
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. During the interregnum he was living at White Waltham
White Waltham
White Waltham is a village and civil parish, west of Maidenhead, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire. It has a population of 2,875, and is the location of White Waltham Airfield.-Extent:...
, Berkshire where he studied astronomy and built telescopes. Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
was using Neile's telescope at White Waltham in 1655 and in 1658 Neile gave a 35 foot telescope to Gresham College. He was one of the twelve founder members of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and in 1661 the Society "desired him to continue his empoyment of the artificer for making glasses for perspectives".
In 1673 Neile was elected MP for Newark
Newark (UK Parliament constituency)
Newark is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885, it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
together with his business partner Henry Savile. However his election was unpopular and contested and he was unable to take his seat properly in the next four years. The election was eventually declared void on 21 Mar 1677.
Neile died at the age of 73.
Neile married Elizabeth Clarke, daughter of Gabriel Clarke, D.D., Archdeacon of Durham. Their son William Neile
William Neile
William Neile was an English mathematician and founder member of the Royal Society. His major mathematical work, the rectification of the semicubical parabola, was carried out when he was aged nineteen, and was published by John Wallis...
was a mathemetician and astronomer.
.