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The Honourable Robert Boyle ( January 25, 1627 - December 30, 1691) was an Irish natural philosopher, noted for his work in physics and chemistry.1 Early years
He was born at Lismore Castle, in the province of Munster, Ireland, as the seventh son and fourteenth child of Richard Boyle, the "Great Earl of Cork". While still a child he learned to speak Latin and French, and he was only eight years old when he was sent to Eton College, of which his father's friend, Sir Henry WottonSir Henry Wotton ( 1568 December, 1639) was an English author and diplomat. The son of Thomas Wotton (1521-1587) and grandnephew of the diplomat Nicholas Wotton, he was born at Bocton Hall in the parish of Bocton or Boughton Malherbe, Kent. He was educate, was then provost. After spending over three years at the college, he went to travel abroad with a French tutor. Nearly two years were passed in GenevaGeneva ( French: Geneve German: Genf Italian: Ginevra Spanish: Ginebra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zurich), located where Lake Geneva (French: Lac de Geneve or Lac Leman empties into the Rhone River. It is the capital of the Can; visiting Italy in 1641, he remained during the winter of that year in FlorenceFlorence ( Italian, Firenze is a city in the center of Tuscany, in north-west Italy, on the Arno river, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany and briefly ( 18, studying the "paradoxes of the great star-gazer" Galileo GalileiGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron, who died within a league of the city early in 1642Events January 4 Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. Beginning of English Civil War. March 1 Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine) becomes the first incorporated city in America May 17 S.
2 Middle years
Returning to England in 1644Events February to August Explorer Abel Tasman's second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. April A popular Chinese rebellion led by Li Zicheng sacks Beijing, prompting Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dyn he found that his father was dead and had left him the manor of StalbridgeStalbridge is a small town situated on the A357 in the Blackmore Vale area of North Dorset, near the border with Somerset in South England. In 2001 the town had a population of 2,579, and is still growing. 8% of the inhabitants are retired. There was a se in DorsetThis page is about the county of Dorset in England. See Dorset (disambiguation) for other places called Dorset Dorset (pronounced 'Dorsit', sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire is a county in the southwest of England. The county town is Dorchester., together with estates in Ireland. From that time he gave up his life to study and scientific research, and soon took a prominent place in the band of inquirers, known as the " Invisible College ," who devoted themselves to the cultivation of the "new philosophy." They met frequently in London, often at Gresham College; some of the members also had meetings at Oxford, and in that city Boyle went to reside in 1654. Reading in 1657 of Otto von Guericke's air-pump, he set himself with the assistance of Robert Hooke to devise improvements in its construction, and with the result, the "machina Boyleana" or "Pneumatical Engine," finished in 1659, he began a series of experiments on the properties of air. An account of the work he did with this instrument was published in 1660 under the title New Experiments PhiysicoMechanical touching the spring of air and its effects.
Among the critics of the views put forward in this book was a Jesuit, Franciscus Linus (1595-1675), and it was while answering his objections that Boyle enunciated the law that the volume of a gas varies inversely as the pressure, which among English-speaking peoples is usually called after his name, though on the continent of Europe it is attributed to Edme Mariotte, who did not publish it till 1676. In 1663 the "Invisible College" became the " Royal Society of London for improving natural knowledge," and the charter of incorporation granted by Charles II of England, named Boyle a member of the council. In 1680 he was elected president of the society, but declined the honour from a scruple about oaths.
In 1668 he left Oxford for London where he resided at the house of his sister, Lady Ranelagh, in Pall Mall.
