Millington, Thomas

1. Dates

Born: Newbury, Berkshire, 1628

Died: London, 5 Jan. 1704

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 76

2. Father

Occupation: Gentry

Also Thomas Millington; except that he was gentry not much is known.

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: English

Career: English

Death: English

4. Education

Schooling: Cambridge; Oxford, M.A., M.D., D.D.

Westminster School.

Cambridge University and Oxford University, 1645-1659. Cambridge, Trinity College, 1646-9; B.A. 1649. Oxford, All Souls, 1649-59; M.A., 1651; incorporated at Cambridge, 1657; M.D., B.D., 1659 at Oxford.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Anglican

By assumption.

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Physiology, Anatomy

Though a leading physician, Millington published nothing. As a young man in Oxford, however, he was active in the Oxford group of physiologists, pursuing both anatomical and physiological investigations.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Academia, Medicine, Patronage

Fellow of All Souls, Oxford, 1649. I am under the impression that he retained the Fellowship for the rest of his life.

Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy, Oxford, 1675-1704. Millington ceased to reside in Oxford in 1676. He retained the chair. He did use deputies, at least some of the time.

Medical practice in London: 1676-1704. Millington was highly fashionable and he amassed a fortune.

First physician in ordinary to William and Mary, later to Queen Anne.

8. Patronage

Type: Court Official

He was called to the deathbed of Charles II, and was the first physician to William And Mary.

Knighted in 1680.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: Medical College, Royal Society

Informal Connections: Close connection with Boyle, Wallis, Wilkins, Willis and Wren in the circule in Oxford. Sydenham praised him as a practicing physician.

Royal College of Physicians, 1672; Censor, 1678, 1680, 1681; Harveian Orator, 1679; Treasurer, 1686-9; Elect, 1691; Consilarius, 1691, 1695; President, 1696-1704.

He was one of the original members of the Royal Society.

Sources

1. Dictionary of National Biography (repr., London: Oxford University Press, 1949-50), 13, 442. William Munk, The Roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 2nd ed., 3 vols. (London, 1878), 1, 363-5.
2. George Clarke, A History of the Royal Society of Physicians, (London, 1964-1966), 1, 170, 258, 323; 2, 469, 472, 474-5, 483, 487.
3. Robert G. Frank, Harvey and the Oxford Physiologists: A Study of Scientific Ideas, (Berkeley, 1980).

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.