Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/William Derham

DERHAM, WILLIAM (1657-1735), an eminent English divine and natural philosopher, was born at Stoughton, near Worcester, in 1657. He received his early educa tion at Blockley, in his native county, and in 1679 graduated with much distinction at Trinity College, Oxford. Three years later he became vicar of Wargrave, in Berkshire; and in 1689 he was preferred to the living of Upminster, in Essex. In 1696 he published his Artificial Clockmaker, which went through several editions. The best known of his subsequent works are Physwo-Theology, published in 1713; Astro- Theology, 1714; and Christo-Theology, 1730. In consideration of these contributions to science and theology he was, in 1716, made a canon of Windsor; and in 1730 he received the degree of D.D. from Oxford. His last work, entitled A Defence of the Church s Right in Leasehold Estates, appeared four years previous to his death, which happened in 1735. Besides the works published in his own name, Derham contributed a variety of papers to the Philosophical Transactions, revised the Miscellanea Curiosa, edited the correspondence of John Ray, and Albin s Natural History, and published some of the MSS. of Hooke, the natural philosopher.