William Coles (1626–1662), botanist, also known as William Cole, was born in 1626 at

Adderbury Adderbury is a winding linear village and rural civil parish about south of Banbury in northern Oxfordshire, England. The settlement has five sections: the new Milton Road housing Development & West Adderbury towards the southwest; East Adder ...

, Oxfordshire, being the son of John Cole. He is known for the

doctrine of signatures The doctrine of signatures, dating from the time of Dioscorides and Galen, states that herbs resembling various parts of the body can be used by herbalists to treat ailments of those body parts. A theological justification, as stated by botanist ...

of medicinal herbs or 'simples', whereby the plant has some attribute which shows the botanist what its use may be.

Biography

He entered New College, Oxford, in 1642, and was soon after made a postmaster of Merton College, Oxford by his mother's brother, John French, senior fellow and registrar of the university. He graduated B.A. on 18 February 1650, having become a public notary, and having already devoted much attention to

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. He afterwards resided at

Putney Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ancient paris ...

, 'where he became the most famous simpler or

herbalist Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

of his time' (Athenæ Oxon.) He became B.D. and fellow of New College and in 1660 was made secretary to

Brian Duppa Brian Duppa (also spelled Bryan; 10 March 1589 – 26 March 1662) was an English bishop, chaplain to the royal family, Royalist and adviser to Charles I of England. Life He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, graduati ...

, bishop of Winchester, in whose service he died in 1662.

Works

His works are: 1. ''The Art of Simpling, or an Introduction to the Knowledge and Gathering of Plants'', London, 1656, pp. 123, 12mo, with which was bound the next book, 2. ''Perspicillum Microcosmologicum, or a Prospective for the Discovery of the Lesser World. Wherein Man is in a Compendium, theologically, philosophically, and anatomically described, and compared with the Universe.'' 3. ''Adam in Eden, or Nature's Paradise. The History of Plants, Herbs, Flowers, with their several, . . names, whether Greek, Latin, or English, and . . . vertues'', London, 1657, pp. 629, folio. His name, given by Wood, Rose, and others as Cole, appears as Coles on the title-pages of both his works.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, William 1626 births 1662 deaths 17th-century English botanists Alumni of New College, Oxford Herbalists