Eshmol, Elias

Born in the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire . The Eshmol family, once very wealthy, had lost their former position by the time of his birth. Young Eshmol attended Litchfield Elementary School and was a choir of Lichfield Cathedral . In 1633 he went to London, where he became a companion to the sons of the Pegit family, maternal relatives of the Eshmols.

In 1638, with the help of the Pegits, he became a solicitor and began to practice in London. In the same year, he married Eleanor Mainwring, who came from an impoverished aristocratic family. The marriage was short-lived, Elinor died during pregnancy on December 6, 1641. To improve his financial situation, in 1649, Eshmol married a wealthy “three times widow,” who was 20 years older than him. This union was not successful. Having become rich, Eshmol first began the divorce proceedings.

During the English Revolution and the Civil War, Eshmol supported Charles I. In 1642 he moved to the estate of his father-in-law in Cheshire , where he remained until 1644, when he was appointed royal collector of taxes and taxes . A new appointment soon followed, this time as head of the artillery and technical supply service at Oxford. In his spare time, Elias Eshmol studied mathematics and physics at Brasenos College , University of Oxford .

At this time, he begins to show interest in the Rosicrucian treatises, in astrology, astronomy and magic. Old astrologer William Beckhouse declares him his spiritual son and trusts him with his secrets. The diary entry of October 16, 1646 mentions that on this day Eshmol was admitted to the Masonic lodge ; this is perhaps the first mention of Freemasons in England ^[2] .

Eshmol's range of interests was encyclopedically wide: in addition to alchemy and astrology, these are old books and medieval manuscripts, law and heraldry, a description of ruined buildings and chorography , numismatics and medal studies, botany and folklore. In 1652, he compiled a catalog of the Kunstkamera (cabinet of wonders) by J. Tradescant , and after 4 years published it at his own expense. In gratitude, Tradescant bequeathed the entire collection to Eshmol.

After the Stuarts returned to power (1660), Eshmol was awarded, among other old royalists. He received a high synecure in the financial department and was appointed commissioner for Suriname . Financial well-being allowed him to take care of the fate of his library and the Kunstkamera (to a large extent inherited from the Tradescant). At the request of Eshmole, the entire collection was delivered on 12 carts to the University of Oxford, where it formed the basis of the Eshmolean Museum .

At an advanced age, Eshmol continued to be interested in esotericism, and Charles II repeatedly turned to him for consultations on astrology. Back in 1652, under the name Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, he published a set of English poetry inspired by alchemy. Eshmol owned the archive of the famous John Dee , which he intended to use to compile his biography. In 1661, he became one of the founding members of the Royal Society of London and developed the coat of arms of this learned society.

• 1650 - “Fasciculus Chemicus” - treatise on alchemy
• 1652 - “Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum” ( Rus. British Alchemical Theater ) - an anthology of poetic texts about alchemy
• 1658 - “The Way to Bliss” (The Way to Bliss)

• Elias Ashmole's Biography on the Lichfield Administration Website
• Elias Ashmole - Founder of the Ashmolean Museum (inaccessible link) . Brasenose College Oxford site. Date of treatment April 12, 2010. Archived July 9, 2009.