SHINING THROUGH THE CENTURIES: JOHN RAY’S LIFE AND LEGACY A REPORT OF THE MEETING ‘JOHN RAY AND HIS SUCCESSORS’ by BRIAN J. FORD Institute of Biology, 20–22 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DZ, UK SUMMARY A major conference on John Ray and other clerical naturalists, entitled ‘John Ray and his successors; the clergyman as biologist’, was held at Braintree, Essex, from 18 to 21 March 1999. Speakers considered Ray’s work and beliefs in the context of the theology of his day, and the interplay between religion and biology up to the present time. Some of the outstanding protagonists were, like Ray, ordained Fellows of the Royal Society. INTRODUCTION Science education has been criticized for a failure fully to celebrate British pioneers, and John Ray, philosopher and writer, cleric, traveller and taxonomist, is one of those who deserves a wider reputation. Ray published voluminous works on vascular plants, vertebrates and insects, working towards the establishment of a natural classification and laying the ground rules that were to be extended by Carolus Linnaeus some decades later. Ray, who was elected a Fellow of the Society on 7 November 1667, published extensive works on contemporary issues, including powerful treatises on theology, and also compiled works on rare words, metallurgy, proverbs and many other matters. Ray was a fine polymath and, when ill health slowed his physical movements, remained a brave and resolute enquirer into a range of scientific issues. When unable to conduct researches in the field, he maintained an 5 Notes Rec. R. Soc. Lond. 54 (1), 5–22 (2000) © 2000 Brian J. Ford Figure 1. Portrait of the Reverend John Ray, A.M., F.R.S. Engraving by Mrs Beale, circa 1804. on December 23, 2016 http://rsnr.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from