John Castell

3 Annotations

First Reading

vincent  •  Link

"...there heard one Castle, whom I knew of my year at Cambridge. He made a dull sermon..." A divine.

Emilio  •  Link

John Castell had been a scholar of Trinity College. In 1661 he was appointed Rector of Great Greenford, Mdx. (L&M footnote)

Third Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

John Castell must have known some influential people. According to Trinity College, Cambridge's website:
"It was much patronised by the prominent families with many leaders of the time receiving their education at Trinity. Sir Edward Coke, Lord [Chancellor Francis] Bacon and the Earl of Essex were undergraduates in the late 16th century; in the 17th century, the College supplied 6 of the translators of the Authorised Version of the [King James] Bible from among its resident Fellows, and counted among its members the poets George Herbert, John Suckling, Andrew Marvell and John Dryden.
"... During the Civil War the sympathies of the College were mainly with the Royalists and the aftermath of persecutions resulted in purges that drove out more than 40 Fellows, including Thomas Comber, the first Master of any distinction since Nevile. Even in these unsettled times, the College continued to develop and several members came into residence who were to have an important effect in establishing the College as a home of scholars, scientists and mathematicians.
"In the new developments in natural science in 17th century Trinity assumed a leadership that it has never lost. It was also during this time that John Ray, a Trinity Fellow, and his pupil Francis Willughby, made great strides in establishing natural history as a science.
"In 1660, Charles II was restored to the throne. During the critical period of transition that followed the death of Cromwell, the College was particularly fortunate in its Heads. In those days the Master’s authority was very great but Wilkins, Ferne and Pearson, who occupied the Master’s Lodge in rapid succession during the years 1659 to 1662, were all moderate in temper, and acted with humanity and tact. The ten years of John Pearson’s Mastership were notable for the rapid rise to eminence in the University of the young Isaac Newton. Newton’s whole academic life, from 1661 to 1696, was spent at Trinity, first as an undergraduate and then as a Fellow from 1667. Isaac Barrow later succeeded Pearson as Master. It was Barrow who persuaded his friend Sir Christopher Wren to design the Wren Library (completed in 1695), the finest of the Trinity buildings.
"After Barrow’s untimely death in 1677 the College gradually deteriorated, although in the next 20 years Newton was doing his greatest work. The number of students declined and discipline grew lax. This was due partly to the lowering of standards used to elect new Fellows and partly the result of the poor leadership qualities of the succession of Masters after Barrow ending with John Montagu."
https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/about/…

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1661