John Chamberlayne

John Chamberlayne (1666–1723) was an English writer and translator, and the younger son of Edward Chamberlayne. He was born about 1666, probably in or near London.

In 1685 he published a translation of Philippe Sylvestre Dufour's The Manner of making Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate as it is used in most parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, with their Vertues. This amusing tract became very widely popular. The same year he entered as a commoner in Trinity College, Oxford, and from here, 24 June 1686, dates his translation of A Treasure of Health by Castor Durante Da Gualdo, Physician and Citizen of Rome (Il Tesoro della Sanità, 1586). Leaving Oxford without a degree, he proceeded to the University of Leyden, where on 12 May 1688 he entered himself as a student. Here, it would seem, he chiefly studied modern languages, of which, according to contemporary report, he knew sixteen. On his return he filled various offices about the court. He was successively gentleman waiter to Prince George of Denmark, gentleman of the Privy Chamber first to Queen Anne and then to King George I. He was also secretary to Queen Anne's Bounty Commission, and on the commission of the peace for Middlesex. In 1702 Chamberlayne was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He contributed three papers to its "Transactions":

In the Sloane Manuscripts there are a number of letters from Chamberlayne on the affairs of the society. None of these, however, are of special importance. Chamberlayne was also a member of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. He translated for this body Osterwald's Arguments of the Book and Chapters of the Old and New Testament, 3 vols. 1716; new ed. 3 vols. 1833.

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