Thomas Sprat (priest)

Thomas Sprat (1635 – 1713) was an English churchman and writer, serving as Bishop of Rochester from 1684 until his death. He was also a founding member of the Royal Society and served as its historian, chronicling its early years and aims.

Born in Tallaton, Devon, Sprat was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, becoming a Fellow in 1657. He gained prominence for his poems and his prose style, influenced by the desire for clarity and precision advocated by the Royal Society.

Sprat's literary works include "The Plague of Athens" (1659), a poem, and "Observations on Monsieur de Sorbier's Voyage into England" (1665), a satirical response to a critical French account of England. His most significant work is considered to be "The History of the Royal Society of London" (1667), commissioned by the Society itself. This work is a key historical document for understanding the scientific revolution in England, providing insight into the Society's goals of promoting experimental philosophy and separating scientific inquiry from theology and metaphysics.

Sprat's career advanced through the Church of England. He became a prebendary of Westminster Abbey in 1668 and Dean of Westminster in 1683. In 1684, he was appointed Bishop of Rochester. During the reign of James II, Sprat served on the Ecclesiastical Commission, but he later withdrew his support for the king. He was briefly implicated in a plot against William III in 1692 but was ultimately exonerated.

Sprat continued to serve as Bishop of Rochester until his death in 1713. He is remembered as a significant figure in the intellectual and religious life of 17th-century England, contributing to both the development of scientific thought and the literary landscape of his time.