Robert Plot

Robert Plot (13 December 1640–April 30 1696) was an English naturalist, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum.

Born in Borden, Kent, he was educated and subsequently taught at Magdalen Hall, Oxford before moving to University College in 1676.A. J. Turner, ‘Plot, Robert (bap. 1640, d. 1696)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 ]

Plot is known for looking for natural curiosities in several English counties, and for writing "Natural History of Oxfordshire"Plot 1705] in which he described the fossilised femur of a giant (now known to be from the dinosaur "Megalosaurus") and "Natural History of Staffordshire", in which he describes a double sunset. [leekonline]

In 1677 he became a fellow of the Royal Society as a result of his exhibition of minerals, and in 1682 became the society's Secretary, and joint editor of the "Philosophical Transactions" (144 - 178) A. J. Turner, ‘Plot, Robert (bap. 1640, d. 1696)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 ] . In the field of chemistry he searched for a universal solvent that could be obtained from wine spirits, and believed that alchemy was necessary for medicine. After 1686 Plot focused more on archaeology, but misinterpreted Roman remains as Saxon. He stressed the unusual; he studied echoes in order to learn about air, mineral waters, and recognised types of earth in layers, but believed that fossil shellfish were coincidental mineral crystallisations, and that some spring water must originate from the sea flowing through underground channels. [Plot 1705 Page 144: _en. §. 155. Here it may be remembred that 'tis possible, that Shells found on the Tops of Mountains, may be brought thither by the Fall of Spouts. vid. Nat. Hist. of Staff. Chap. 7. §. 45. And that real Shells found deep in the Earth, may be brought thither by the vast Subterraneous Indraughts coming from the Sea, which occasion Springs, see Mercurius Centralis and Nat. Hist. of Stafford-shire, Chap. 2. §. 71, 72.]

This office of Mowbray Herald Extraordinary was created in January 1695 for Plot, who was made Registrar of the College of Arms just two days later. [cite journal
last = Turner
first = Anthony
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Robert Plot (1640–1696)
journal = Sphæra, formerly the newsletter of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
volume =
issue = issue 4
pages =
publisher =
location =
date = Autumn 1996
url = http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/sphaera/index.htm?issue4/articl6
doi =
id =
accessdate = 2008-01-23]

Plot died in Borden, the village of his birth.

Notes and references

*Plot, Robert; John Burman. [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J8wQAAAAIAAJ The Natural History of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Towards the Natural History of England] . Printed by Leon Lichfield. London. 1705
*cite web | url=http://www.leekonline.co.uk/sunset/ | title=Dr. Plot and the Amazing Double Sunset. | work=leekonline.co.uk | accessmonthday=27 March | accessyear=2005
*cite web | url=http://www.chlt.org/sandbox/lhl/dsb/page.40.php?size=240x320 | title=Dictionary of Scientific Biography | work=Linda Hall Library | accessmonthday=27 March | accessyear=2005
*cite web | url=http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/geocolls/plot/plotbib.htm | title=Robert Plot| work=Oxford Museum of Natural History | accessmonthday=27 March | accessyear=2005

External links

* [http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/PotWeb/Plot/ Robert Plot 1640–96 — scientist & antiquary] from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford