Elias Ashmole

Elias Ashmole (May 23, 1617 – May 18, 1692) was an antiquarian, collector, politician and student of astrology and alchemy. He supported the royalist side during the English Civil War, and at the restoration of Charles II he was rewarded with several lucrative offices. Throughout his life he was an avid collector of curiosities and other artifacts, many of which he acquired from the traveller, botanist and collector John Tradescant, and most of which he donated to Oxford University to create the Ashmolean Museum. He also donated his library and priceless manuscript collection to Oxford.

Related Topics:
May 23 - 1617 - May 18 - 1692 - Antiquarian - Astrology - Alchemy - Royalist - English Civil War - Restoration - Charles II - John Tradescant - Oxford University - Ashmolean Museum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Apart from his collecting activities, Ashmole illustrates the passing of the pre-scientific world view in the seventeenth century: while he immersed himself in alchemical, magical and astrological studies and was consulted on astrological questions by Charles II and his court, these studies were essentially backward-looking. Although he was one of the founding members of the Royal Society, a key institution in the development of experimental science, he never participated actively.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~