John Covel

John Covel (2 April 1638 19 December 1722) was a clergyman and scientist who became Master of Christ's College, Cambridge and vice-chancellor of the University.[1]

Portrait by Claude Laudius Guynier, 1716

Diplomacy

Born at Horningsheath, Suffolk, the son of William Covel, John Covel was educated at Bury St Edmunds school and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was made a fellow in 1659.[2] In 1670 he went to Constantinople as Chaplain to the Levant Company. For two years he was in sole charge of the English Embassy there after the previous ambassador died.[3]

Travel and scholarship

Covel travelled widely in Asia Minor and described the buildings and plants which he saw. He purchased many Greek manuscripts (including codices 65, 110, 321, 322, and ℓ 150).

After his return, Covel spent the winter of 1680/1681 in Suffolk suffering with fever,[4] before becoming Chaplain to the Princess of Orange in The Hague (1681–1685). He was then elected the 15th Master of Christ's in 1688, a position he held until 1723.[5]

In his later years, Covel helped to develop the study of fossils.[6]

References

  1. Elisabeth Leedham-Green, ‘Covel , John (1638–1722)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 23 December 2007.
  2. "Covel or Covill, John (CVL654J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. "Electronic Enlightenment: John Covel". www.e-enlightenment.com. Retrieved 2020-12-31. Electronic Enlightenment: John Covel.
  4. "Electronic Enlightenment: John Covel to John Locke". www.e-enlightenment.com. 2019. doi:10.13051/ee:doc/lockjoou0020350b1c. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  5. "Christ's College website – list of previous masters". Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  6. Christ's College Magazine, No 154, Easter term 1942.

Further reading

  • Jean-Pierre Grélois, ed., Dr John Covel, Voyages en Turquie 1675–1677. Texte établi, annoté et traduit par Jean-Piere Grélois, avec une préface de Cyril Mango (Réalités Byzantines 6). Paris, 1998. ISBN 978-2-283-60456-4
  • Covel, John (1893). "Extracts from the diaries of John Covel (1870-1879)". In Bent, J. Theodore (ed.). Early voyages and travels in the Levant. London: Hakluyt Society. pp. 99–287.
  • "John Covel". Electronic Enlightenment Biographical Dictionary. 2019. doi:10.13051/ee:bio/coveljohn0004729.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Ralph Cudworth
Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
16881722
Succeeded by
William Towers
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