Edward Bernard
Encyclopedia
Edward Bernard was an English
scholar and Savilian professor of astronomy at the University of Oxford
, from 1673 to 1691.
, Northamptonshire
. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
and St John's College, Oxford
, where he was a scholar in 1655; he became a Fellow in 1658, and graduated M.A. in 1662.
He began to teach astronomy as deputy to Christopher Wren
, then Savilian professor. This was from 1669, the year in which Wren became Surveyor-General of the King's Works. Eventually Wren was too busy, and resigned the chair.
In 1673 he became Savilian professor, Fellow of the Royal Society, and chaplain to Peter Mews
. In 1676 he went to Paris, as tutor to Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton
and George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
. From the 1670s he built up good contacts with European scholars. He corresponded with Hiob Ludolf
, and met his nephew Heinrich Wilhelm Ludolf in Oxford. He visited Pierre-Daniel Huet, and corresponded with Jean Mabillon
and Pasquier Quesnel
.
He observed the comet of 1680 and corresponded about it with John Flamsteed
. In 1691 he became rector of Brightwell
.
His biography was written by his friend Thomas Smith
.
, travelling to Leiden to look at the manuscript legacies of Joseph Scaliger and Levinus Warner in 1669, and working on Arabic texts in the Bodleian Library
. He returned to the Netherlands more than two decades later, to purchase at auction items from the library of Jacobus Golius
, on behalf of Narcissus Marsh
. In parallel, he began to edit the works of Josephus
in the 1680s. The geometrical work remained fragmentary, while the Josephus edition was heavily annotated but incomplete. Clement Barksdale
circulated some doggerel about it: "Savilian Bernard's a right learned man;/Josephus he will finish when he can."
Much of Bernard's scholarly work remained as book annotations, and came back to the Bodleian when it purchased those books from his library after his death.
De mensuris et ponderibus antiquis (1688), on ancient weights and measures, first was an appendix to a work of Edward Pococke
, and then published separately in an expanded version. With Humphrey Hody
and Henry Aldrich
he issued an edition of Aristeas
. The Orbis Eruditi was a table of many alphabets.
His Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae in unum collecti cum indice alphabetico (Oxford 1697), colloquially "Bernard's Catalogue", was a catalogue of manuscripts in British and Irish libraries, and served as a major tool for scholars. Humfrey Wanley
assisted him with this compilation.
Recent sources claim that his assertion that tenth century Egyptian astronomer Ibn Yunis used a pendulum
for time measurement, predating Galileo, has no basis in fact.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
scholar and Savilian professor of astronomy at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, from 1673 to 1691.
Life
He was born at PaulerspuryPaulerspury
Paulerspury is a civil parish and small village in South Northamptonshire, England. It is approximately south of Towcester and north of Milton Keynes along the A5 road...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
and St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, where he was a scholar in 1655; he became a Fellow in 1658, and graduated M.A. in 1662.
He began to teach astronomy as deputy to 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...
, then Savilian professor. This was from 1669, the year in which Wren became Surveyor-General of the King's Works. Eventually Wren was too busy, and resigned the chair.
In 1673 he became Savilian professor, Fellow of the Royal Society, and chaplain to Peter Mews
Peter Mews
Peter Mews was an English Royalist theologian and bishop.-Life:Mews was born at Caundle Purse in Dorset, and was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, London, and at St John's College, Oxford, of which he was scholar and fellow.When the Civil War broke out in 1642, Mews joined the Royalist...
. In 1676 he went to Paris, as tutor to Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton KG was the illegitimate son of King Charles II by Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine....
and George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
Lieutenant-General George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG, PC was the third and youngest illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mother Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine...
. From the 1670s he built up good contacts with European scholars. He corresponded with Hiob Ludolf
Hiob Ludolf
Hiob Ludolf was a German orientalist, and born at Erfurt. Edward Ullendorff rates Ludolf as having "the most illustrious name in Ethiopic scholarship".-Life:...
, and met his nephew Heinrich Wilhelm Ludolf in Oxford. He visited Pierre-Daniel Huet, and corresponded with Jean Mabillon
Jean Mabillon
Jean Mabillon was a French Benedictine monk and scholar, considered the founder of palaeography and diplomatics.-Early career:...
and Pasquier Quesnel
Pasquier Quesnel
Pasquier Quesnel was a French Jansenist theologian.He was born in Paris, and, after graduating from the Sorbonne with distinction in 1653, he joined the French Oratory in 1657...
.
He observed the comet of 1680 and corresponded about it with John Flamsteed
John Flamsteed
Sir John Flamsteed FRS was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. He catalogued over 3000 stars.- Life :Flamsteed was born in Denby, Derbyshire, England, the only son of Stephen Flamsteed...
. In 1691 he became rector of Brightwell
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is a twin-village and civil parish in the Upper Thames Valley in South Oxfordshire. It lies between Didcot to the west and the historic market town of Wallingford to the east...
.
His biography was written by his friend Thomas Smith
Thomas Smith (scholar)
Thomas Smith was an English scholar, expelled Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and non-juring divine.-Early life and academic career:...
.
Works
He spent much time on manuscripts of Apollonius of PergaApollonius of Perga
Apollonius of Perga [Pergaeus] was a Greek geometer and astronomer noted for his writings on conic sections. His innovative methodology and terminology, especially in the field of conics, influenced many later scholars including Ptolemy, Francesco Maurolico, Isaac Newton, and René Descartes...
, travelling to Leiden to look at the manuscript legacies of Joseph Scaliger and Levinus Warner in 1669, and working on Arabic texts in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. He returned to the Netherlands more than two decades later, to purchase at auction items from the library of Jacobus Golius
Jacobus Golius
Jacob Golius , was a Dutch Orientalist and mathematician....
, on behalf of Narcissus Marsh
Narcissus Marsh
Narcissus Marsh was an English clergyman who was successively Church of Ireland Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, Archbishop of Cashel, Archbishop of Dublin and Archbishop of Armagh....
. In parallel, he began to edit the works of Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
in the 1680s. The geometrical work remained fragmentary, while the Josephus edition was heavily annotated but incomplete. Clement Barksdale
Clement Barksdale
-Life:Barksdale was born at Winchcombe, Gloucestershire in November 1609. He received his earlier education in the Abingdon Grammar School, Berkshire. He entered Merton College, Oxford, as ‘a servitor,’ in Lent term 1625, but removed shortly to Gloucester Hall , where he took his degrees in arts...
circulated some doggerel about it: "Savilian Bernard's a right learned man;/Josephus he will finish when he can."
Much of Bernard's scholarly work remained as book annotations, and came back to the Bodleian when it purchased those books from his library after his death.
De mensuris et ponderibus antiquis (1688), on ancient weights and measures, first was an appendix to a work of Edward Pococke
Edward Pococke
Edward Pococke was an English Orientalist and biblical scholar.-Early life:He was the son of clergyman from Chieveley in Berkshire, and was educated at Lord Williams's School of Thame in Oxfordshire and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford...
, and then published separately in an expanded version. With Humphrey Hody
Humphrey Hody
Humphrey Hody was an English scholar and theologian.-Life:He was born at Odcombe in Somerset in 1659. In 1676 he entered Wadham College, Oxford, of which he became a fellow in 1685...
and Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich was an English theologian and philosopher.-Life:Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was made Dean in succession to the Roman Catholic John Massey, who had fled to the Continent. In 1692, he...
he issued an edition of Aristeas
Aristeas
Aristeas was a semi-legendary Greek poet and miracle-worker, a native of Proconnesus in Asia Minor, active ca. 7th century BCE. In book IV of The Histories, Herodotus reports...
. The Orbis Eruditi was a table of many alphabets.
His Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae in unum collecti cum indice alphabetico (Oxford 1697), colloquially "Bernard's Catalogue", was a catalogue of manuscripts in British and Irish libraries, and served as a major tool for scholars. Humfrey Wanley
Humfrey Wanley
Humfrey Wanley was a librarian, palaeographer and scholar of Old English, employed by manuscript collectors such as Robert and Edward Harley. He was the first keeper of the Harlein Library, now the Harleian Collection.-Life:...
assisted him with this compilation.
Recent sources claim that his assertion that tenth century Egyptian astronomer Ibn Yunis used a pendulum
Pendulum
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...
for time measurement, predating Galileo, has no basis in fact.