author

Francis Hauksbee

1687–1763

A skilled instrument maker and science lecturer in eighteenth-century London, this lesser-known Hauksbee helped bring experimental philosophy to public audiences. He also spent decades at the Royal Society, where practical craft and scientific demonstration met every day.

1 Audiobook

A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments perform'd by Francis Hauksbee, and the Explanatory Lectures read by William Whiston, M.A.

A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments perform'd by Francis Hauksbee, and the Explanatory Lectures read by William Whiston, M.A.

by William Whiston, Francis Hauksbee

About the author

Francis Hauksbee the Younger (1687–1763) was an English instrument maker, lecturer, and experimentalist, best known as the nephew of Francis Hauksbee the Elder. He built scientific apparatus and became associated with the lively world of public science lectures in early eighteenth-century London.

Sources on his life agree that he worked closely with leading scientific circles and, in 1723, was elected clerk and housekeeper to the Royal Society, a post he held for many years. He also collaborated with lecturer William Whiston and is often described as one of the early figures to popularize lectures that used live experiments to explain natural philosophy.

Although he is sometimes overshadowed by his more famous uncle, Hauksbee the Younger played an important part in the hands-on culture of early science: making instruments, demonstrating ideas, and helping scientific knowledge reach wider audiences. He died on January 11, 1763.