Robert Plot
Encyclopedia
Robert Plot was an English
naturalist
, first Professor of Chemistry
at the University of Oxford
, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum
.
Born in Borden, Kent
, he was educated and subsequently taught at Magdalen Hall, Oxford before moving to University College
in 1676. He was a mature commoner at University College and donated a statue of King Alfred to the College (erroneously believed to be the founder of the College).
Plot is known for looking for natural curiosities in several English counties, and for writing The Natural History of Oxford-shire (1677) in which he described the fossilised femur of a giant (now known to be from the dinosaur
Megalosaurus
) and The Natural History of Staffordshire (1686), in which he describes a double sunset viewable from Leek
and the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
.
In 1677, he became a fellow of the Royal Society
as a result of his exhibition of minerals, and in 1682 became the society's Secretary, and joint editor of the Philosophical Transactions (144–178). In the field of chemistry he searched for a universal solvent that could be obtained from wine spirits, and believed that alchemy was necessary for medicine. After 1686, Plot focused more on archaeology, but misinterpreted Roman
remains as Saxon
. He stressed the unusual; he studied echoes in order to learn about air, mineral waters, and recognised types of earth in layers, but believed that fossil
shellfish were coincidental mineral crystallisations, and that some spring water must originate from the sea flowing through underground channels.
This office of Mowbray Herald Extraordinary
was created in January 1695 for Plot, who was made Registrar of the College of Arms
just two days later.
Plot died in Borden, the village of his birth.
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...
naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, first Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
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...
, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
.
Born in Borden, Kent
Borden, Kent
Borden is a village situated immediately south west of Sittingbourne, Kent, from which it is separated by a small area of rural land. The history of the name is questioned. It may be derived from bor and then either from denu or denn...
, he was educated and subsequently taught at Magdalen Hall, Oxford before moving to University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
in 1676. He was a mature commoner at University College and donated a statue of King Alfred to the College (erroneously believed to be the founder of the College).
Plot is known for looking for natural curiosities in several English counties, and for writing The Natural History of Oxford-shire (1677) in which he described the fossilised femur of a giant (now known to be from the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus is a genus of large meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Europe...
) and The Natural History of Staffordshire (1686), in which he describes a double sunset viewable from Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
and the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is an English folk dance involving reindeer antlers and a hobby horse that takes place each year in Abbots Bromley, a small village in Staffordshire, England.-Origins:...
.
In 1677, he became a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
as a result of his exhibition of minerals, and in 1682 became the society's Secretary, and joint editor of the Philosophical Transactions (144–178). In the field of chemistry he searched for a universal solvent that could be obtained from wine spirits, and believed that alchemy was necessary for medicine. After 1686, Plot focused more on archaeology, but misinterpreted Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains as Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
. He stressed the unusual; he studied echoes in order to learn about air, mineral waters, and recognised types of earth in layers, but believed that fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
shellfish were coincidental mineral crystallisations, and that some spring water must originate from the sea flowing through underground channels.
This office of Mowbray Herald Extraordinary
Mowbray Herald Extraordinary
Mowbray Herald of Arms Extraordinary was an English officer of arms. Though an officer of the crown, Mowbray Herald Extraordinary was not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London. Sir William le Neve appears to have been appointed to the office from 29 June 1624 until his...
was created in January 1695 for Plot, who was made Registrar of the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
just two days later.
Plot died in Borden, the village of his birth.
External links
- Robert Plot from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford