Francis Wollaston (23 November 1731, London – 31 October 1815) was a British

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

and

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1769.

Life

Wollaston was the son of Francis Wollaston (1694–1774) and his wife Mary Fauquier. He was educated privately and at

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (referred to informally as "Sidney") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1596 under the terms of the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (1531–1589), wife ...

, where he graduated

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

in 1754. Though admitted to

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

in 1750, Wollaston never entered the bar, but became a clergyman. Ordained deacon in 1754 and priest in 1755, he became Rector of

Dengie Dengie is a village and civil parish in the Maldon district of Essex, England, with a population of 119 at the 2011 census. It gives its name to the Dengie peninsula and hundred and to the Dengie Special Protection Area. The place-name 'Dengi ...

in 1758. From 1761 to 1769 he was Rector and Vicar of

East Dereham Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the Breckland District of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles (40&nb ...

, and from 1769 to 1815 Rector of

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

. Wollaston wrote a rare privately printed autobiography ''The Secret History of a Private Man''. In it, he explains that his pursuit of astronomy was intended to separate him at a "distance from the misrepresentations of narrow minded biggots." He had a private observatory with a triplet telescope by

Peter Dollond Peter Dollond (24 February 1731 – 2 July 1820) was an English maker of optical instruments, the son of John Dollond. He is known for his successful optics business, and for the invention of the apochromat. Biography Dollond was born in Kensing ...

. He was buried at Chislehurst. He achieved some distinction as an astronomer, becoming a member of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1769 and later serving on its council. He also produced a catalogue of stars and nebulae in 1789, which was used by many including his friend

William Herschel Frederick William Herschel (; german: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline H ...

.Heavenly Heresies – the Reverend Francis Wollaston. ''

Astronomy Now ''Astronomy Now'' is a monthly British magazine on astronomy and space. According to the Royal Astronomical Society, ''Astronomy Now'' is the "principal amateur astronomy magazine in Britain" with a reputed circulation of 24,000. The magazine f ...

'', October 2012, page 16 He is buried in St Nicholas's Churchyard in Chislehurst.

Beliefs

Wollaston was suspected of unorthodox beliefs, perhaps

Unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there i ...

, a denial of the Trinity. His actual belief, which he kept secret, was much more distinctive. It was that "the

Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

had created mankind and was subsequently incarnated as Jesus".

Family

He married Althea Hyde, daughter of John Hyde, in 1758 and they had many children: * Mary Hyde Wollaston (1760–1843), married, in 1803, William Panchen, vicar of St Mary and St Benedict, Huntingdon * Althea Hyde Wollaston (1760–1785), married Thomas Heberden (1754–1843), a priest and canon of Exeter Cathedral *

Francis John Hyde Wollaston Francis John Hyde Wollaston FRS (13 April 1762, London – 12 October 1823) was an English natural philosopher and Jacksonian Professor at the University of Cambridge. Life Francis John Hyde Wollaston was the son of Francis Wollaston (1731–1 ...

(1762–1823), philosopher * Charlotte Hyde Wollaston (1763–1835) * Katherine Hyde Wollaston (1764–1844), conchologist * George Hyde Wollaston (1765–1841) *

William Hyde Wollaston William Hyde Wollaston (; 6 August 1766 – 22 December 1828) was an English chemist and physicist who is famous for discovering the chemical elements palladium and rhodium. He also developed a way to process platinum ore into malleable ingo ...

(1766–1828), physiologist, chemist, and physicist * Henrietta Hyde Wollaston (1767–1840) * Anna Hyde Wollaston (1769–1828), unmarried * Frederick Hyde Wollaston (1770–1839?; went to America in 1796) * Louisa Hyde Wollaston (1771–1772) * Charles Hyde Wollaston (1772–1850) * Henry Hyde Wollaston (1774), died in infancy * Amelia Hyde Wollaston (1775–1860) * Henry Septimus Hyde Wollaston (1776–1867), married Maria Anna Blanckenhagen, the daughter of a well-known merchant family originating from the Baltic. * Sophia Hyde Wollaston (1777–1810), unmarried * Louisa Decima Hyde Wollaston (1778–1854), married James Leonard Jackson, a priest from Dorsetshire * unknown child * unknown child

References

* Clifford J. Cunningham, ''The First Asteroid'', 2001

External links

*
''A Portraiture of the Heavens''
Wollaston's 1811 star atlas, full digital facsimile, Linda Hall Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Wollaston, Francis Fellows of the Royal Society 1731 births 1815 deaths