Morton, Charles (1627-1698)

A System of Physicks or natural Philosophy composed by C[harles] M[orton]. Together with an Extract out of Dr. Wallis concerning the ebbing and flowing of the sea. Illustrated with numerous pen-drawn figures and diagrams: text between red rules. Written in a small neat upright script. The section at the end (10 pp.) is headed: 'An Extract out of Dr. (John) Wallis [1617-1703] his Hypothesis concerning the Ebbing and flowing of the sea. In his Letter to Mr. Boyle dated Apr. 25, 1668. Inserted in the philosophicall transactions Numb. 16, p. 263. Drawn out by C. M. to be added by way of appendix to our physics.' At the end of the main text (p. 214) 'Finit 12 die Decembris, 1684. I.H.' The 'C.M.' of the main title to this MS. are the initials of Charles Morton. He was a Puritan divine, born in Cornwall, who graduated M.A. at Wadham College, Oxford in 1652. Appointed Rector of Blisland in 1655, he was ejected in 1662 in accordance with the Act of Uniformity. Migrating to London, he opened a Dissenter's Academy in 1673 at Stoke Newington, near London at which Daniel Defoe was a pupil, and where these lectures were delivered. Owing to continued harassment from the Bishop's Court he abandoned the school, and emigrated to New England in 1686. He was inducted as Minister to the first church in Charleston in the same year. By 1692 he was a Fellow, and in 1697 elected the first Vice-President of Harvard University. He died at Charleston in the following year. The 'Dictionary of American Biography' in reference to the 'System of Physicks' states that 'it was used in many manuscript copies as a text-book at Harvard far down into the 18th century'. [See the Dictionary of National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Toulmin (J.) Historical view of the state of the Protestant Dissenters in England. Bath, 1814, pp. 232-235.] The 'I.H.' who wrote down these lectures can almost certainly be identified with Joseph Hill [1667-1729], who was a pupil at Morton's Academy, and afterwards minister at the English Presbyterian church at Rotterdam from 1699 to 1718 Returning to England he was minister to Haberdasher's Hall, London, from 1718 to his death in 1729 [see the Dictionary of National Biography; Toulmin, op. cit., p. 571]. Produced in London.

1684

1 volume 3 ll. + 214 pp. + 10 pp. + 3 ll. (last bl.). 12mo. 15 × 9 cm. Modern calf-gilt binding.

Purchased 1928.

Armorial book-plate of Charles John Shoppee [1824-1897].

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).