Gerard Boate
Encyclopedia
Gerard Boate (1604–1650) was a Dutch physician, known for his Natural History of Ireland.
He became a contributor to the fund under the English act of parliament of 1642, which admitted the Dutch to subscribe money for the reduction of the Irish, to be subsequently repaid by grant of forfeited lands in Ireland. He was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians 6 November 1646. In April 1649 the appointment of Boate as doctor to the hospital at Dublin was referred by the council of state in London to Oliver Cromwell
, who had just been appointed commander-in-chief for Ireland. The treasurer-at-war in the following September paid Boate fifty pounds, as physician for Ireland.
Boate arrived in Ireland at the latter end of 1649, while Cromwell was in command there, but he survived only a short time. He died in January 1650. In repayment of Boate's contributions, his widow Katherine Boate, obtained, under certificate dated 15 November 1667, over one thousand acres of land in Tipperary
.
To support the interest of adventurers subscribing for potential Irish lands, he undertook the compilation of a work to supply information on Irish produce. Boate himself had never visited Ireland; but materials for his work were furnished by his brother Arnold and by some of the English who had been expelled by the Irish rebellion of 1641
. Boate started the ‘Natural History’ early in 1645 and completed it within the year, but its publication was deferred.
Boate's papers and his ‘Natural History’ left behind him in London came into the hands of Samuel Hartlib
. With the assent of Arnold Boate, then in Paris, the ‘Natural History’ was published at London in 1652 by Hartlib, with a dedication to Oliver Cromwell
and Charles Fleetwood
, commander-in-chief in Ireland. In his dedication, Hartlib observed:
The ‘Natural History’ is divided into twenty-four chapters. In a letter, dated Paris, 10 August, prefixed to the volume and addressed to Hartlib, Arnold Boate stated that his brother had contemplated three more books on the plants, ‘living creatures,’ and natives of Ireland respectively. A French version, under the title of ‘Histoire Naturelle d'Irlande,’ was published at Paris in 1666. A quarto edition of the ‘Natural History’ by Boate was published at Dublin in 1726, and reissued there in 1755. It was again published in the first volume of a ‘Collection of Tracts and Treatises illustrative of the Natural History, Antiquities, and Political and Social State of Ireland,’ Dublin, 1860.
Attribution
Life
Boate was the brother of Arnold Boate, and was born at Gorcum, Holland. He entered the university of Leyden as a medical student 21 June 1628, and graduated there as doctor of medicine 3 July 1628. Boate settled in London, was employed as physician to the king.He became a contributor to the fund under the English act of parliament of 1642, which admitted the Dutch to subscribe money for the reduction of the Irish, to be subsequently repaid by grant of forfeited lands in Ireland. He was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians 6 November 1646. In April 1649 the appointment of Boate as doctor to the hospital at Dublin was referred by the council of state in London to Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, who had just been appointed commander-in-chief for Ireland. The treasurer-at-war in the following September paid Boate fifty pounds, as physician for Ireland.
Boate arrived in Ireland at the latter end of 1649, while Cromwell was in command there, but he survived only a short time. He died in January 1650. In repayment of Boate's contributions, his widow Katherine Boate, obtained, under certificate dated 15 November 1667, over one thousand acres of land in Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
.
Works
In 1630 he published a book styled ‘Horæ Jucundæ.’ With his brother Arnold, he produced a treatise on philosophy, published in 1641.To support the interest of adventurers subscribing for potential Irish lands, he undertook the compilation of a work to supply information on Irish produce. Boate himself had never visited Ireland; but materials for his work were furnished by his brother Arnold and by some of the English who had been expelled by the Irish rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
. Boate started the ‘Natural History’ early in 1645 and completed it within the year, but its publication was deferred.
Boate's papers and his ‘Natural History’ left behind him in London came into the hands of Samuel Hartlib
Samuel Hartlib
Samuel Hartlib was a German-British polymath. An active promoter and expert writer in many fields, he was interested in science, medicine, agriculture, politics, and education. He settled in England, where he married and died...
. With the assent of Arnold Boate, then in Paris, the ‘Natural History’ was published at London in 1652 by Hartlib, with a dedication to Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and Charles Fleetwood
Charles Fleetwood
Charles Fleetwood was an English Parliamentary soldier and politician, Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1652–55, where he enforced the Cromwellian Settlement. At the Restoration he was included in the Act of Indemnity as among the twenty liable to penalties other than capital, and was finally...
, commander-in-chief in Ireland. In his dedication, Hartlib observed:
I lookt also somewhat upon the hopefull appearance of replanting Ireland shortly, not only by the adventurers, but happily by the calling in of exiled Bohemians and other Protestants also, and happily by the invitation of some well affected out of the Low Countries, which to advance are thoughts suitable to your noble genius, and to further the settlement thereof, the Natural History of that countrie will not be unfit, but very subservient.
The ‘Natural History’ is divided into twenty-four chapters. In a letter, dated Paris, 10 August, prefixed to the volume and addressed to Hartlib, Arnold Boate stated that his brother had contemplated three more books on the plants, ‘living creatures,’ and natives of Ireland respectively. A French version, under the title of ‘Histoire Naturelle d'Irlande,’ was published at Paris in 1666. A quarto edition of the ‘Natural History’ by Boate was published at Dublin in 1726, and reissued there in 1755. It was again published in the first volume of a ‘Collection of Tracts and Treatises illustrative of the Natural History, Antiquities, and Political and Social State of Ireland,’ Dublin, 1860.
Further reading
- S. Mendyk, Gerard Boate and "Irelands Naturall History", The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Vol. 115, (1985), pp. 5-12
External links
Attribution