John Dee | |
|---|---|
 A 16th-century portrait by an unknown artist[a] | |
| Born | 13 July 1527[3] |
| Died | December 1608 or March 1609 (aged 81) Mortlake, Surrey, England |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Advisor to Queen Elizabeth I |
| Spouses |
|
| Children |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics, alchemy, astrology, Hermeticism, navigation |
| Institutions | |
| Academic advisors | Gemma Frisius, Gerardus Mercator[1] |
| Notable students | Thomas Digges[2] |
John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, teacher, astrologer, occultist, and alchemist.[4] He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. As an antiquarian, he had one of the largest libraries in England at the time. As a political advisor, he advocated the foundation of English colonies in the New World to form a "British Empire", a term he is credited with coining.[5]
Dee eventually left Elizabeth's service and went on a quest for additional knowledge in the deeper realms of the occult and supernatural. He aligned himself with several individuals who may have been charlatans, travelled through Europe, and was accused of spying for the English Crown.[6] Upon his return to England, he found his home and library vandalised. He eventually returned to the Queen's service, but was turned away when she was succeeded by James I. He died in poverty in London, and his gravesite is unknown.
- ^ John Dee at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- ^ Singmaster 2003.
- ^ a b Woolley 2012.
- ^ Roberts 2006.
- ^ Williams 1985, p. 124.
- ^ Szönyi 2004a, p. 3.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).