Beaugrand, Jean

1. Dates

Born: Paris (?), ca. 1595

Died: Paris (?), ca. 22 Dec. 1640

Dateinfo: Both Dates Uncertain

Lifespan: 45

2. Father

Occupation: No Information

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: Paris (?), France

Career: France

Death: Paris(?), France

4. Education

Schooling: No University

Studied under Viète.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic (assumed)

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Mathematics, Astronomy

Published Geostatique in 1636. He published on mathematics, and he observed astronomical events such as eclipses.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Patronage

He became mathematician to Gaston of Orleans in 1630.

8. Patronage

Type: Court Official

Gaston of Orleans, see above.

9. Technological Involvement

Types: None

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

He was an early friend of Fermat and Etienne Despagnet, later of Mersenne and his circle.

He was an official Paris correspondent to Fermat.

Friendship and correpondence with Castelli, Galileo, and Hobbes.

Sources

1. P.Humbert," Les Astronmers francais de 1610 a 1667," Société d'études scientifiques et archeéologiques de Draguignan, Memoires, 63 (1942), pp.1-72.
2. Little in known about Beaugrand. There are few manuscripts and letters and no records.
3. Not in Nouvelle biographie générale.
4. Not in Dictionnaire de biographie française.
5. References to Beaugrand are scatted throughout the standard eds of the correspondence of Fermat (P.Tannery and C. Henry, eds, Paris 1891-1912; (QA3.F3) Supp. vol., N.de Waard, ed., Paris, 1922), Descartes (Adam And P.Tannery eds., Paris, 1897-1913, (B1833.T16)), and Mersenne (Marie Tannery, ed., Paris, 1933, (BX4705.M53.A3), v.1-3).

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.