Walter Warner
Encyclopedia
Walter Warner was an English
mathematician
and scientist
.
and educated at Merton College, Oxford
, graduating B.A. in 1578.
At the end of the sixteenth century he belonged to the circle round Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland
, the 'Wizard Earl'. The Earl's ‘three magi’ were Warner, Thomas Harriot
and Robert Hues
. Percy paid Warner a retainer to help him with alchemical experiments (£20 per annum in 1595, rising to £40 in 1607). He also belonged to the overlapping group around Sir Walter Ralegh. At this time he was mainly known for chemical and medical interests. It has been argued by Jean Jacquot that this group of experimental researchers, sponsored by Percy and Ralegh, represents the transitional moment from the still-magical theories of Giordano Bruno
to real science.
He may have been associated with Christopher Marlowe
's study group on religion, branded atheists, but confusion is possible here with William Warner
.
After Henry Percy's death, he was supported by Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
, and then Sir Thomas Aylesbury
. Warner edited Harriot's Artis Analyticae Praxis in 1631. He met Thomas Hobbes
through Sir Charles Cavendish, who circulated Warner's works. Warner was a friend of Robert Payne, chaplain to Cavendish. In 1634 Warner and Hobbes discussed refraction
. This acquaintance was later brought up against Hobbes in a controversy.
With John Pell
he computed the first table of antilogarithms in the 1630s. John Aubrey
, relying on Pell's testimony, states that Warner had claimed to have anticipated William Harvey
's discovery of the circulation of the blood, and that Harvey must have heard of it through a Mr Prothero. Pell also mentioned that Warner had been born without a left hand.
who published some of his optical work in Universae geometriae (1646). He was an atomist, and a believer in an infinite universe
. He was both a theoretical and practical chemist, and wrote psychological works based on Bruno and Lullism. Many manuscripts of his survive, and show eclectic interests; they include works related to the circulation of the blood. Some of Warner's papers ended up in the Pell manuscripts collected by Richard Busby
; after his death the bulk of his papers were seized in 1644 by superstitious sequestrators. George John Gray, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography
, states that the table of 11-figure antilogarithms later published by James Dodson
was believed to have passed to Herbert Thorndike
, and then to Busby; Pell's account in 1644 was that Warner had been bankrupt, and the creditors were likely to destroy the work.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
.
Life
He was born in LeicestershireLeicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and educated at Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, graduating B.A. in 1578.
At the end of the sixteenth century he belonged to the circle round Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland KG was an English aristocrat. He was a grandee and one of the wealthiest peers of the court of Elizabeth I. Under James I, Henry was a long-term prisoner in the Tower of London. He is known for the circles he moved in as well as for his own achievements...
, the 'Wizard Earl'. The Earl's ‘three magi’ were Warner, Thomas Harriot
Thomas Harriot
Thomas Harriot was an English astronomer, mathematician, ethnographer, and translator. Some sources give his surname as Harriott or Hariot or Heriot. He is sometimes credited with the introduction of the potato to Great Britain and Ireland...
and Robert Hues
Robert Hues
Robert Hues was an English mathematician and geographer. He attended St. Mary Hall at Oxford, and graduated in 1578. Hues became interested in geography and mathematics, and studied navigation at a school set up by Walter Raleigh. During a trip to Newfoundland, he made observations which caused...
. Percy paid Warner a retainer to help him with alchemical experiments (£20 per annum in 1595, rising to £40 in 1607). He also belonged to the overlapping group around Sir Walter Ralegh. At this time he was mainly known for chemical and medical interests. It has been argued by Jean Jacquot that this group of experimental researchers, sponsored by Percy and Ralegh, represents the transitional moment from the still-magical theories of Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno , born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. His cosmological theories went beyond the Copernican model in proposing that the Sun was essentially a star, and moreover, that the universe contained an infinite number of inhabited...
to real science.
He may have been associated with Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
's study group on religion, branded atheists, but confusion is possible here with William Warner
William Warner (poet)
William Warner was an English poet.-Life:William Warner was born in London about 1558. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, but left the university without taking a degree. He practised in London as an attorney, and gained a great reputation among his contemporaries as a poet...
.
After Henry Percy's death, he was supported by Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, KG was an English military leader and a prominent supporter of constitutional monarchy.-Family background:...
, and then Sir Thomas Aylesbury
Thomas Aylesbury
Thomas Aylesbury may refer to:* Sir Thomas Aylesbury, 1st Baronet *Thomas Aylesbury...
. Warner edited Harriot's Artis Analyticae Praxis in 1631. He met Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
through Sir Charles Cavendish, who circulated Warner's works. Warner was a friend of Robert Payne, chaplain to Cavendish. In 1634 Warner and Hobbes discussed refraction
Refraction
Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. It is essentially a surface phenomenon . The phenomenon is mainly in governance to the law of conservation of energy. The proper explanation would be that due to change of medium, the phase velocity of the wave is changed...
. This acquaintance was later brought up against Hobbes in a controversy.
With John Pell
John Pell
-Early life:He was born at Southwick in Sussex. He was educated at Steyning Grammar School, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge, at the age of thirteen. During his university career he became an accomplished linguist, and even before he took his B.A. degree corresponded with Henry Briggs and...
he computed the first table of antilogarithms in the 1630s. John Aubrey
John Aubrey
John Aubrey FRS, was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the collection of short biographical pieces usually referred to as Brief Lives...
, relying on Pell's testimony, states that Warner had claimed to have anticipated William Harvey
William Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician who was the first person to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart...
's discovery of the circulation of the blood, and that Harvey must have heard of it through a Mr Prothero. Pell also mentioned that Warner had been born without a left hand.
Scientific work and legacy
Warner was unpublished in his lifetime, but well known, in particular to Marin MersenneMarin Mersenne
Marin Mersenne, Marin Mersennus or le Père Mersenne was a French theologian, philosopher, mathematician and music theorist, often referred to as the "father of acoustics"...
who published some of his optical work in Universae geometriae (1646). He was an atomist, and a believer in an infinite universe
Steady State theory
In cosmology, the Steady State theory is a model developed in 1948 by Fred Hoyle, Thomas Gold, Hermann Bondi and others as an alternative to the Big Bang theory...
. He was both a theoretical and practical chemist, and wrote psychological works based on Bruno and Lullism. Many manuscripts of his survive, and show eclectic interests; they include works related to the circulation of the blood. Some of Warner's papers ended up in the Pell manuscripts collected by Richard Busby
Richard Busby
The Rev. Dr. Richard Busby was an English Anglican priest who served as head master of Westminster School for more than fifty-five years.-Life:...
; after his death the bulk of his papers were seized in 1644 by superstitious sequestrators. George John Gray, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
, states that the table of 11-figure antilogarithms later published by James Dodson
James Dodson
James Dodson FRS was a British mathematician, actuary and innovator in the insurance industry.-Life:Matthew Maty, in his Mémoire sur la vie et sur les écrits de M. A. de Moivre, wrote that Dodson was a pupil of Abraham de Moivre. He worked as an accountant and teacher...
was believed to have passed to Herbert Thorndike
Herbert Thorndike
Herbert Thorndike was an English academic and clergyman, known as an orientalist and Canon of Westminster Abbey. He was an influential theological writer during the reigns of King Charles I and, after the Restoration, King Charles II...
, and then to Busby; Pell's account in 1644 was that Warner had been bankrupt, and the creditors were likely to destroy the work.