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John Wilkins

The Right Reverend
John Wilkins
FRS
Bishop of Chester
Bp John Wilkins.jpg
Diocese Diocese of Chester
In office 1668–1672 (death)
Predecessor George Hall
Successor John Pearson
Other posts Dean of Ripon (1663–1672)
Personal details
Born (1614-02-14)14 February 1614
Fawsley, Northamptonshire
Died 19 November 1672(1672-11-19) (aged 58)
Chancery Lane, London
Buried St Lawrence Jewry, London
Nationality British
Denomination Anglican
Spouse Robina Cromwell (m.1656)
Profession Clergyman, natural philosopher, author, administrator
Alma mater New Inn Hall, Oxford
Magdalen Hall, Oxford

John Wilkins FRS (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an Anglican clergyman, natural philosopher and author, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death.

Wilkins is one of the few persons to have headed a college at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. He was a polymath, although not one of the most important scientific innovators of the period. His personal qualities were brought out, and obvious to his contemporaries, in reducing political tension in Interregnum Oxford, in founding the Royal Society on non-partisan lines, and in efforts to reach out to religious nonconformists. He was one of the founders of the new natural theology compatible with the science of the time.

He is particularly known for An Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language (1668) in which, amongst other things, he proposed a universal language and a decimal system of measures which was later developed to become the metric system.

Wilkins lived in a period of great political and religious controversy, yet managed to remain on working terms with men of all political stripes; he was key in setting the Church of England on the path toward comprehension for as many sects as possible, "and toleration for the rest." Gilbert Burnet called him "the wisest clergyman I ever knew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good."

His stepdaughter married John Tillotson, who became Archbishop of Canterbury.


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