author
W. (William) Derham
1657–1735
An English clergyman and early scientist, he is remembered for bringing close observation of the natural world into both science and theology. He is especially noted for producing one of the earliest reasonably accurate measurements of the speed of sound.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1657 and educated at Trinity College, Oxford, William Derham became an Anglican clergyman whose parish work ran alongside a serious interest in science. He served as rector of Upminster in Essex for many years and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Derham wrote influential works of natural theology, including Physico-Theology and Astro-Theology, arguing that the study of nature revealed order and design. He also carried out careful observations in astronomy and natural history, and he is often remembered for his experiments that produced an early accurate estimate of the speed of sound.
His writing sits at an interesting meeting point between religion and early modern science. For listeners interested in the history of ideas, Derham offers a vivid example of a time when studying the heavens, weather, animals, and sound could all be part of understanding the world as a whole.