John Bainbridge (1582 – 3 November 1643) was an English

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, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

and

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

Life

Bainbridge was born at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire to Robert and Anne (née Everard) Bainbridge. He attended the Free Grammar School in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and then became a student at Emmanuel College,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

. He returned to Ashby where he practiced as a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

for some years, kept a school and studied

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

. Having removed to London, he was admitted (6 November 1618) a licentiate of the college of physicians, and was noticed due to a publication concerning the

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...

of 1618. In 1618, he became a member of the Puritan group of scholars known as the Gresham Circle. In 1619, Sir

Henry Savile (Bible translator) Sir Henry Savile (30 November 154919 February 1622) was an English scholar and mathematician, Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Provost of Eton. He endowed the Savilian chairs of Astronomy and of Geometry at Oxford University, and was one ...

(1549–1622) elected him as the first Savilian Professor of Astronomy at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

. Bainbridge was incorporated of Merton College and became, in 1631 and 1635 respectively, junior and senior reader of Linacre's lectures. Bainbridge was a

puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

. He died at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

on 3 November 1643. He was a friend of

Christopher Heydon Sir Christopher Heydon (14 August 1561 – 1 January 1623) was an English soldier, Member of Parliament, and writer on astrology. He quarrelled with his family over its estates in Norfolk. Background Born in Surrey, Heydon was the eldest son ...

, the writer on astrology; and also of

John Greaves John Greaves (1602 – 8 October 1652) was an English mathematician, astronomer and antiquarian. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, he was elected a Fellow of Merton College in 1624. He studied Persian and Arabic, acquired a number of old ...

, his successor to both the Savilian chair and Linacre's lectures.

Works

He wrote ''An Astronomical Description of the late Comet'' (1619); ''Canicularia'' (1648); and translated Proclus' ''De Sphaera'', and

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

's ''De Planetarum Hypothesibus'' (1620). Several manuscript works by him exist in the

Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

of Trinity College, Dublin. The papers in Trinity library came from archbishop

James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ident ...

, possibly through

, who knew both men well. Bainbridge died

intestate Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies without having in force a valid will or other binding declaration. Alternatively this may also apply where a will or declaration has been made, but only applies to part of the estat ...

, and Greaves dealt with his estate (Birch
''Misc. works''
p. xxix)

References

* Andrew Pyle (editor), ''Dictionary of Seventeenth Century British Philosophers'' (2000), article pp. 52–4. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bainbridge, John 1582 births 1643 deaths People from Ashby-de-la-Zouch 17th-century English astronomers Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Savilian Professors of Astronomy