Wilkins, John 1614 - 1672

John Wilkins was born on 1 January 1614, in Fawsley, Northamptonshire. He attended a small Oxford grammar school from the age of 9, before becoming an undergraduate at Magdalen Hall when he was 13, graduating in 1627 at the age of just 17. Wilkins supported himself by teaching pupils until 1637, when he was ordained into the Church of England. Lord Saye and Sele appointed Wilkins as his chaplain and this marked the first of a number of chaplaincies held by Wilkins to figures in the parliamentary opposition to the Stuart. During this period Wilkins was part of a scientific group in London. He published several books on religious matters and four scientific volumes, including ‘Mercury, or the Secret and Swift Messenger’ in 1641, which is seen as the first book in English on cryptography. Wilkins’ major goal was the broad dissemination of scientific knowledge and had also aimed to persuade his readers to pursue scientific studies.

When the Civil War ended in 1648 Wilkins was made Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, where he encouraged and attracted academics and scholars from across the religious and political spectrum. Whilst Warden at Wadham, Wilkins was involved in a more active and substantial scientific group than that he had participated in in London, which was interested in the practical aspects of science as much as the theoretical, and worked to invent and improve various mechanical devices and processes, including surveying and mining techniques, wood turning, weaving devices and printing methods.

In 1656 Wilkins married the widow of an Oxford colleague called Robina French. Robina was the youngest sister of the Protector Richard Cromwell. Wilkins was offered the role of Master of Trinity College Cambridge in 1659 at the behest of the fellows of the college. In spite of his closeness to Richard Cromwell, Wilkins was appointed Dean of Ripon within a few months of Charles II’s restoration in 1660, which showed what high regard he was held in both political and ecclesiastical circles at the time. He took up residence in London that same year and began attending the scientific meetings at Gresham College. On 28 November 1660 Wilkins and others met at Gresham College to discuss founding a ‘Colledge for the promoting of Physico-Mathematicall-Experimentall Learning’ and to regularise their meetings to follow developments in Europe. They were keen to secure state support and the King, a keen amateur scientist himself, proved receptive. In the summer of 1662 the group officially became the Royal Society. Wilkins was one of the founding secretaries and indeed became vice-president in 1663. A key figure in the English Enlightement, Wilkins believed in the importance of using precise but simple language in both science and theology, and ‘Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosopical Language’, published by Wilkins under the auspices of the Royal Society in 1668, remains his most influential publication.

The Great Fire of London in 1666 caused Wilkins financial hardship as much of his clerical funding literally turned to ashes. Nevertheless he was increasingly involved in church politics and administration and in 1668 became Bishop of Chester. Throughout this period and until his death on 19 November 1672 he remained active in Royal Society affairs and actively involved in experimental studies in Chester and elsewhere