Barker (Samuel, Hebraist, of Lyndon

Barker (Samuel, Hebraist and meteorologist, of Lyndon, Rutland, 1686-1759), Thomas Barker (theologian and meteorologist, married Anne White sister of Gilbert White of Selborne, 1722-1809) & William Whiston (natural philosopher and theologian, friend of Newton, succeded him as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, 1667-1752).- [Meteorological observations and records of weights and heights of members of the Barker, Whiston and Dawes families found in four almanacs],almanacs comprise: Parker's Ephemeris... 1736; The British Telescope... 1736; Ladies Diary or, the Woman's Almanack... Adapted for the Use and Diversion of the Fair-Sex..., 1736; Richard Saunders. Apollo Anglicanus... 1736, Samuel Barker's copy, manuscript notes on meteorological observations, astronomical observations and notes on heights and weights of members of the Barker, Whiston and Dawes families and other various notes, 42pp., including 17pp. autograph manuscript meteorological notes mostly in the hand of Samuel Barker and signed four times: "S. Barker" on titles of each almanac, and 25pp. in another hand (mostly heights and weights), by ?another member of the Barker family, some pp. excised, slightly browned, twentieth century ink signature of "Lucie Walter 1930" on front pastedown, original panelled calf, inscribed on upper cover: "1736 E", corners bumped, joints splitting, housed in a modern box, 8vo,

***An interesting collection of notes relating to eighteenth century scientific observation. Meteorological Observations. The notes by Samuel Barker consist mainly of a year long calendar with observations of the weather for evey day: "May 16 Morn part cloudy part clear wind SW. afternoon cloudy". Immediately after this is one page list of where the observations were taken including, North Luffenham, Uppingham, Liddington, Glayston and Lyndon. Another note of interest is: "The Quantity of Rain 1736 perpendicular inches. Heights and Weights. Also starting in 1736, include, measurements of the heights of S. W[histon] and J[ohn] D[awes] between November 1747 and September 1758. From 1758 to 1772 there is a larger list of names of various peoples weights, many identified as initials such as, SB [Samuel Barker], TB [Thomas Barker], AB [Anne Barker, née White], WW [William Whiston, and others identified with partial or whole names including, Sam [Barker, son of Thomas Barker], Miss Sophia Whiston, S. Dawes, Mr Whiston [probably William Whiston], Miss Martin, Miss R. White [?daughter of Benjamin White, bookseller, brother of Gilbert White] and A. White. Astronomical and other notes include: "Oct. 31. 1736 E Mercuries transit by Calculation begin..."; Eclipses of Jupiters Satellites observd"; "Pigeons"; "Safron with chives, Flowers, Chives... ."; "By an experiment of Mr Charles Miller at Cambridge in 1767 3 pecks & _ of clean wheat raised in a year & quarter from one grain, weight lb 7oz and might contain about 576840 corns." Also declination of the house at Lyndon according to "Mr Edw. Laurence" (bap. 1674, d. 1739), land surveyor and astronomer, and "Mr John Laurence (1668-1732), writer on gardening. Barker, Whiston, White and Dawes families. Samuel Barker (1686-1759), son of Augustine and Thomasin Barker married Sarah, only daughter of the natural philosopher and theologian William Whiston, main compiler of the above notes. Their son Thomas Barker (1722-1809) who clearly inherited his interest in meteorology from his father and perhaps his Whiston uncle, sent between 1771 and 1798 annual registers of his meteorological observations at Lyndon to the Royal Society, via William Stukeley, most of which were published in the Philosophical Transactions. Thomas Barker married Anne, one of the sisters of Gilbert White and her initials appear throughout this manuscript. They were probably introduced through John Whiston, son of William Whiston, a bookseller who for many years had a business association with Benjamin White, the bookseller brother of Gilbert White and publisher of The Natural History of Selborne. "Miss R. White" quoted in the manuscript is probably Rebecca White. An A. White is also mentioned, probably another niece of Gilbert White. Benjamin's daughter. "Sam" or sometimes "Sammy" is Samuel Barker, Thomas Barker's son who became in time one of Gilbert White's most valued correspondents. The Dawes family, mentioned many times in the manuscript were neighbours in Lyndon..