Who was John Ray?
Q: Who was John Ray?
A: John Ray was an English naturalist, sometimes referred to as the father of English natural history.
Q: How did he get to Cambridge University?
A: He got to Cambridge University on a scholarship.
Q: What happened when Charles II returned to power in 1660?
A: Charles II insisted that all priests sign an affadavit against the Puritan party and the Act of Uniformity of 1662 made the Book of Common Prayer compulsory in religious services, which was opposed by those of Puritan beliefs. As a result, Ray would not sign the affidavit and was forced to resign his Fellowship.
Q: What did Ray do after returning from continental Europe in Spring 1666?
A: After returning from continental Europe in Spring 1666, he joined the new Royal Society and devoted himself to the study of natural history.
Q: What were some important works published by Ray?
A: Ray published important works on plants, animals, and natural theology such as Historia Plantarum.
Q: How did Ray classify plants differently than others before him? A: Rather than classifying plants according to an either/or type system, he classified them by observation according to similarities and differences. Thus he advanced scientific empiricism against the deductive rationalism of the scholastics. He was also the first person to give a biological definition of species.
