John Ray papers

One letter from Ray to Martin Lister dated 15 November 1669 and detailing English plants with references to Ray’s Catalogue of English plants. Ray signed the letter ‘John Wray’ which is how he spelt his surname until 1670, after which he used ‘Ray’.

John Ray was born on 29 November 1627 in Black Notley, Essex. Ray studied at Braintree Grammar School and in 1944, was awarded a scholarship to St. Catherines Hall, Cambridge. In 1946, he transferred to Trinity College, Cambridge. Ray gained his bachelor?s degree in 1648 and was awarded a fellowship at Trinity College in 1649.

Over the next 13 years, Ray held a number of positions at Trinity college, including Lecturer in Greek, Lecturer in Mathematics, Lecturer in Humanity, Praelector, Junior Dean, and College Steward. Ray published his first work in 1660, which was a Catalogue of plants growing around Cambridge, United Kingdom. On the 23 December 1660 he took holy orders. Ray resigned from his fellowship (along with 13 other fellows) on 24 August 1662 as he refused to sign an oath prescribed by Act of Uniformity 1662, stating that the Solemn League and Covenant agreement was not binding.

After the termination of his Fellowship, Ray undertook an expedition to Wales and Cornwall alongside Francis Willughby in 1662. Ray and Willughby then went on a tour of Europe together from 1663-1666 and they decided to undertake a study of the complete natural history of living things, with Ray taking responsibility for the botanical aspect and Willughby for the Zoological. Ray published the ?Catalogue of English Plants? in 1670 but after Willughby?s death in 1672, Ray decided to complete Willughby?s portion of their project. As a result, Ray completed and published ?The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick, esq.? in 1676 under Willughby?s name. Ray also completed and published Willughby?s ?A History of Fishes? which was financed by the Royal Society.

In addition to Botany and Zoology, Ray published on a variety of topics throughout his career, including religion, travel, and language. In 1667, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

Ray married Margaret Oakley of Launton, Oxfordshire in 1673 and he died on 17 January 1705 in Black Notley, Essex.

Ray spelt his surname ?Wray? until 1670, after which he used 'Ray'.