Jennifer Rampling, University of Cambridge and Chemical Heritage Foundation
Chemical Heritage Foundation, Brown Bag Lecture
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Place: 6th Floor Conference Room, Chemical Heritage Foundation
Information: 215-873-8289 or bbl@chemheritage.org
In 1591 the first work of an English alchemist to be published appeared in London, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. The work was the Compound of Alchymy, or Twelve Gates, a long poem composed by the English alchemist George Ripley, Canon of Bridlington (c. 1415 – c. 1490). Despite his death a century earlier, Ripley was a surprisingly frequent presence in the Elizabethan court. 16th-century alchemists seeking patronage routinely turned to the Canon’s enigmatic texts for inspiration, consolidating his reputation as one of England’s greatest adepts. These works can point to previously unsuspected links between some of the best-known alchemical practitioners in Elizabethan England.
Jennifer Rampling is a doctoral candidate in the department of history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge. She is currently a Neville fellow at CHF, researching the famous English alchemist, George Ripley. Her research interests include medieval and early modern alchemy, medicine, and natural philosophy.