Robert Plot (bef. 1640 - 1696)

Biography

Robert Plot was born in Borden, Kent, England.

Robert Plot is Notable.

Robert Plot was baptized on 13 Dec 1640 in the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Borden, Kent ^[1]. He was the son of Robert Plot and Rebecca Patenden.
He had an older brother William, who shared his forename with their grandfather. William was baptized in All Saints parish church, Murston, Kent, England on 3 Dec 1637^[2].

Education and career

Robert Plot was educated at the Wye Free School in Kent. He entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford in 1658 where he graduated with a BA in 1661 and an MA in 1664.
He subsequently taught and served as dean and vice principal at Magdalen Hall while preparing for his BCL and DCL, which he received in 1671 before moving to University College in 1676.

Robert Plot was renowned for being an English naturalist, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum. Sources for details of his life are listed below. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the natural sciences was his project to create an encyclopaeædic natural history of England. In that project he published: The natural History of Oxfordshire, being an " Essay towards the natural History of England. Oxon. 1677, 2nd ed. 1705. and The Natural History of Staffordshire, &c. Oxon. 1686. He had planned further volumes on the counties of Kent and Middlesex, and the City of London. He also planned on travelling throughout the realm to make catalogues of all the ancient books in the libraries of cathedral and collegiate churches, and in the universities and public libraries. He made a catalogue of most of the species of apples, pears, vines and stone fruits growing in England. He was an early member ofthe Royal Society and was editor of its Philosophical Transactions between 1682 and 1684.

Marriage

Robert resigned from his posts at Oxford in 1690, thereafter he married Rebecca Burman on 21 August 1690 at Canterbury^[3][4]. She was widow to Henry Burman, and younger daughter to Ralph Sherwood (who died 9 Sep 1705, aged 80 years), a grocer in London, and his wife Mary (who died 8 Aug 1708, aged 72 years).)

Upon his marriage he retired to his family home, Sutton Barne (sometimes Baron) in his hometown of Borden, Kent, England. ^[5]. The family seat Sutton Baron came into the Plot family through Robert's great grandfather, also named Robert, who purchased it from William Cromer, one of the joint owners, in the second year of Queen Elizabeth around1559, together with a wood, called Fridd-wood, in Borden parish, so Hasted's History and topographical survey of the county of Kent^[6]. It was extended by his grandfather, William (who was buried in Bordon 12 Apr 1614), and his father Robert (who died 20 Apr 1669, aged 63 years). Robert's mother, Rebecca was to die before her husband, and was interred in the parish church on 28 Sep 1654. .

Children

Robert and Rebecca had three children, all of whom were baptized in the parish church of St Martin Outwich, in the City of London:

1. Robert Plot, baptized 17 May 1691^[7].
2. Rebecca Plot, baptized 22 Aug 1694^[8]. She died sometime between September 1694, when she is mentioned in Robert's will, and March 1696, when she is noted as deceased in its codicil.
3. Ralph Sherwood Plott, baptized 20 Jul 1696^[9].

It is conjectured that Robert maintained rooms in London, as in the codicil to his will dated 26 Mar 1696, just before his death, he mentions that the will was "now in the cabinet at London". That may explain why his children were baptized in a central London parish church. The journey between London and Borden was approximately 40 miles long, and followed the main road to Canterbury via Bexleyheath, Rochester and Sittingbourne. In the last decade of the 17th century, before the first turnpikes in Kent were created (in 1705 and 1709), it probably took three days in a carriage.

Death

Robert Plot died on 30 Apr 1696 at Borden, Kent, England^[3][10]. He was buried in the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Borden, Kent on 5 May 1696^[11]. Robert made a will in September 1694 and added a codicil in March 1696, shortly before his death. A transcription was made from the copy in The National Archives (TNA) UK.

Research Notes

Marriage: No record of Robert's marriage to Rebecca Sherwood on 21 Aug 1690 in Canterbury has been located in the primary ecclesiastical sources, including Allegations for marriage licences issued by the vicar-general of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The date is recorded by Rebecca's son, John Burman, editor of the 2nd edition of The Natural History of Oxford-shire... in the Short account of the author at the beginning of the work^[4]. Canterbury is recorded in The Gentleman's magazine ^[3] as the location for the marriage.

Robert's professional life: The National dictionary of biography 1921-22 edition contains an extensive entry for Robert Plot^[12]. It appears to be largely derivative of essays and correspondence printed in The Gentleman's magazine and historical chronicle for the year MDCCXCV [1795] volume LXV [65] Part the second, p. 897-8 essay Oct 21 1795 by J. Tracy; p. 996-7 correspondence Dec 12 1795; p. 1089 further correspondence and transcriptions of inscriptions in Borden parish church.

Robert's association with and the roles he had in the Royal Society is explicated in their catalogue of fellows^[13].

Sutton Baron: The history of the ownership of Sutton Baron is extensively explicated in Hasted's History and topographical survey of the county of Kent^[6]. It existed from the reign of Richard II around 1380, and passed through at least ten owners until Robert Plot, Robert's great grandfather acquired it in 1559. In 1557-8 (4-5th year of Mary and Philip) it was bequeathed to John Coty and Alice his wife, Thomas Plot and Elizabeth his wife, Thomas and Alexander Pettenden, Norton Greene, Thomas and Edward Norton, and their heirs. This arrangement was untenable, and the estate passed to William Cromer, Esq. and John Dryland, the first of whom sold it to Robert. Of note, Sutton Baron was part-owned by an ancestor of Robert's mother, Rebecca Patenden

Patenden as a surname: Robert's mother's surname may have also been rendered Pedenden, so the Gentleman's magazine v. LXV, p. 1089:

• "The Pedendens had been long reſident at Borden, as appears by entries in the pariſh regiſter. They might latterly write themſelves Patenden. I find an early connexion of theirs with Plot. Ralph Pedenden married Sept. 25, 1561, to Jane Piott; and George, ſon of Ralph Pedenden, was buried there, June 29, 1569, as was Mary, daughter of the ſame Ralph, June 7, 1576."^[3].
  

The same issue included a transcription of the monuments to Robert (sen) and his wife Rebecca; and to Robert (jnr) and his wife Rebecca which were placed in the parish church in Borden. The monument to Dr Robertus Plot, LL.D is reproduced in the second edition of his Natural history of Oxford-shire 1705 edited by his step-son John Burman^[4].

Plot Coat of arms: The Plot coat of arms includes according to Blome^[14]: "Vert, three Quarterfoils Argent, each charged with a Lions head Erazed, Sable, born by Thomas Plot Esquire, Secretary to his Highness the great Duke of Tuscany; descended of the Family of the Plots Sparsholt in Berkshire". The coat of arms is illustrated in Image no. 2 Plot Memorial window, 1927 of this profile. While Thomas Plot referenced here may have borne the family coat of arms, it was probably created long before. Hasted^[6] records that the Robert Plot, of Borden, who purchased Sutton Baron was "one of the sons of Mr. Alexander Plot, of Stockbury, in which parish his ancestors had been settled in the reign of Edward IV. and bore for their arms, Vert, three quaterfoils, argent, each charged with a lion's head, erased, sable". Blome may be in error in suggesting that the Plots were descended from Plots from the Sparsholt estate in Berkshire, Hasted suggests that the Plots had settled in Stockbury parish Kent (directly adjoining the south-west corner of Borden parish) from around the mid 15th century.

Robert's relations, largely unknown at present: Robert's will bequeaths a ring of 20 shillings each to his "brother and sister How" (or Hoo) his "nephew and neice Taylor" and "cozen Susanna Dorrington". The identity of these relatives (either blood or by association) has not been ascertained.

There was a Thomas Plott Esq. who was married on 30 Mar 1680 by license issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to Susanna Bresey of Dort in Holland^[15]. The marriage license states:

• "Mar. 30 Thomas Plott, Esqr, Secretary to the Most Honble [blank] Sydney, Envoy of H.M. the King of Great Britain to the States of Holland, a Bachr & 23 & upwards, & Mrs Susanna Bresey, of Dort in Holland Spr, 25 & at her own dispose; alleged by Henry Brome, of St Gregorie's, London, Citizen & Bookseller; in the Church or Chapel of her Highness the Princess of Orange, by the Rev Ths Ken, D.D., or Jonathan Blagrave, Clerk, M.A., Chaplains to her Highness."
  

This places his birth around 1656-57. Prior to this diplomatic service in Holland, in 1677, he was Agent for Great Britain in the Court of the Great Duke of Tuscany. In that capacity he was remunerated an advance of ordinary of £91 per quarter from the Treasury, and by the King's warrant (privy seal) 20 shillings per day for his ordinary expenses as Agent in the Court of Tuscany^[16]. His relationship to Robert is unknown.

Participation in professional communications. Plot probably maintained rooms in London after he had left Oxford (as noted above his will was kept in a cabinet in London). There he may have participated in the Temple Coffee House Botanic Club which commenced around 1690 and met regularly to share botanical knowledge, and to conduct Sunday field trips, some of which extended into Kent. It included many notable botanists including James Petiver, Leonard Plukenet, Hans Sloane, Nehemiah Grew, and Samuel Doody. One of the members, Bishop Henry Compton, arranged to assign a botanically trained Church of England priests to North America. The correspondence of Hans Sloane does not mention Plot but he may well have been involved. More research is required.

Recognition as a naturalist: A genus, within the primrose family was named after him: Plotia Adan, was first formalized in Adanson's Familles des plantes, 1763^[17]. This genus is now assigned to the genus Myrsine in the family Primulaceae.

A widespread fossil echinoid species Clypeus plotii Leske, 1778 common in the Jurassic period https://www.gbif.org/species/5818533 https://www.marinespecies.org/echinoidea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1460123 is named after him.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism Entry: Robert Plot was baptized on 13 Dec 1640 at Borden, Kent, England. Citing this Record: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database,
   FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQB6-HJG : 10 April 2021), Robert Plott, 1640
2. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NT2K-4JK : 19 September 2020),
   William Plott, 3 Dec 1637, Murston, Kent, England (accessed 11 Sep 2022)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} The Gentleman's magazine and historical chronicle for the year MDCCXCV [1795] volume LXV [65] Part the second,
   p. 897-8 essay Oct 21 1795 by J. Tracy (accessed 10 Sep 2022)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Plot, Robert. The Natural History of Oxford-shire: being an essay towards the Natural history of England.
   2nd ed. with large Additions and Corrections. Oxford: Leon Lichfield, 1705. section: "A Short Account of the Author"
   online Google Books (accesseed 11 Sep 2022)
5. ↑ Painting of Sutton Barn: in the British Museum. (https://www.watercolourworld.org/painting/untitled-sutton-barne-borden-kent-tww00cea4)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Hasted, Edward. The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent. Canterbury: W. Bristow, 1797. Vol. 6 , p. 69
   image in Internet Archive
   transcription online (accessed 24 Oct 2022)
7. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5LV-22Q : 19 March 2020), Robert Plott, 17 May 1691, St Martin Outwich (accessed 11 Sep 2022
8. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5LV-RTT : 19 March 2020), Rebecca Plott, 22 Aug 1694, St Martin Outwich (accessed 11 Sep 2022)
9. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers 1670-1795; Reference Number: P69/Mtn3/A/001/Ms06837
   indexed in Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database on-line].
   Citing St Martin Outwich Baptisms, Ralph Sherwood-Plott 20 Jul 1696, father: Robert Plott (deceased), mother: Rebecca
   Ancestry Sharing Link (accessed 11 Sep 2022)
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45733514/robert-plot : accessed 13 Sep 2022), memorial page for Dr Robert Plot (13 Dec 1640 - 30 Apr 1696), Find A Grave: Memorial #45733514, citing St Peter and St Paul Churchyard Borden, Swale Borough, Kent, England
11. ↑ England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8VR-GNP : 15 March 2020), Robt. Plott, Burial 5 May 1696 (accessed 11 Sep 2022)
12. ↑ Stephen, Leslie, ed. Dictionary of National Biography London, England: Oxford University Press, 1921–1922.
    Plot, Robert (1640-1696) in v. 15, p. 1310-1312 Ancestry Sharing Link p. 1310 (accessed 10 Sep 2022)
13. ↑ Royal Society of London. Record of past fellows citing Plot; Robert (1640 - 1696)
    Robert Plot (accessed 3 Nov 2022)
14. ↑ Blome, Richard. An Essay to Heraldry, in two parts... London: T.B. for Rich. Blome, 1684.
    available Google Books (accessed 1 Nov 2022)
15. ↑ Armytage, George J. Allegations for marriage licences issued by the vicar-general of the Archbishop of Canterbury
    [by Church of England. Province of Canterbury. Registry of the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury].
    London : Harleian Society, 1890. vol. 30, p.25 online image at Internet Archive (accessed 30 Oct 2022)
16. ↑ "Entry Book: November 1677, 21-30," in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 5, 1676-1679,
    ed. William A Shaw (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1911), p. 803
    British History Online, (accessed 30 Oct 2022)
17. ↑ Adanson , Michel. Familles des plantes I. Partie Paris: Vincent, 1763. p. 221ff. (accessed 22 Sep 2022)

Sources on Plot's life and work:

• Wood, Anthony à; Athenae Oxonienses : an exact history of all the writers and bishops who have had their education in the University of Oxford : to which are added the Fasti, or Annals of the said University. A New edition [3rd ed.] with Additions and a continuation, by Philip Bliss. vol. 4 London : Lackington, Hughes etc, 1820 col. 772-779
• Biographia Britannica: Or, The Lives of the Most Eminent Persons who have flourished in Great Britain and Ireland, from the Earliest Ages, Down to the Present Times. London: W. Innys, 1760 Volume 5, p. 3368-9 https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Biographia_Britannica/rYhDAAAAcAAJ
• "Robert Plot," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Plot&oldid=1099517565
• Lee, Sidney Dictionary of national biography Vol. XLV Pereira-Pockrich. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1896 (https://ia802605.us.archive.org/33/items/dictionaryofnati45stepuoft/dictionaryofnati45stepuoft.pdf)
• Mendyk, S. Robert Plot: Britain's 'Genial Father of County Natural Histories'. Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London Vol. 39, No. 2 (Apr., 1985), pp. 159-177 (19 pages). https://www.jstor.org/stable/531623
• Emery, F. V. 'English Regional Studies from Aubrey to Defoe'. The Geographical Journal Vol. 124, No. 3 (Sep., 1958), pp. 315-325 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1790782 Pages 316-320 discuss Plot's contributions.
• Beck, David (2013) Thoroughly English: County Natural History, c. 1660-1720 PhD thesis University of Warwick. thesis available online (accessed 5 Nov 2022) this thesis extensively discusses naturalists involved in early county natural histories, icluding Plot from p. 100 ff.
• Hoppen, K. Theodore (1976) The Nature of the Early Royal Society. Part II. The British Journal for the History of Science Vol. 9, No. 3 (Nov., 1976), pp. 243-273 (31 pages) available online (accessed 5 Nov 2022) discusses Plot's alchemistic philosophy and writings
• Turner, Anthony. Robert Plot (1640-1696) Sphæra 4, Autumn 1996 History of Science Museum, Sphæra Newsltter Archive
• Oxford University. Museum of Natural History. Robert Plot [Learning More module] 8 pages, incl. Plates from The Natural History of Oxfordshire

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