(Born: Black Notley, near Brainton, Essex, England, 29 November 1628; Died: Black Notley, near Brainton, Essex, England, 17 January 1705) English antiquarian.

Ray was one of the most reknowned naturalists of his age. His primary interest was botany. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, 1667.

Biographical references: Allibone, Dictionary of English Literature, 1859-71. • Arber, A., "A Seventeenth-century Naturalist: John Ray", Isis, 34, (1943), 319-24. • BBA: I 1198, 378-451; 1199, 1-8. • Derham, W., Memorials of John Ray. London, 1946. • DNB: 16, 782-7. • Keynes, John Ray, a Bibliography, 1951. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 576-7. • Raven, C.E., English Naturalists from Neckham to Ray. Cambridge, 1947. • Raven, C.E., John Ray, naturalist: his life and works. Second edition. Cambridge & New York, Cambridge University Press, 1986. xxv, 506 p. • Raven, C.E., John Ray, Naturalist: His life and Works. Cambridge, 1942. • Vines, S.H., "Robert Morison, 1620-1683, and John Ray, 1627-1688," in: F.W. Oliver, ed., Makers of British Botany. Cambridge, 1913, p. 8-43. • Waller, Dictionary of Universal Biography, 1857-63. • Watt, Bibliotheca Britannica, 1824. • WBI.

Comprehensive Bibliography

1. English, 1951.
John Ray | A Bibliography By | Geoffrey Keynes | [...2 lines of titles...] | Faber and Faber | 24 Russell Square • London.

8°: [i]-xv, [1], 1-163, [1]  p., ports., facsims. Page size: 248 x 150 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Half title page, "John Ray | A Bibliography," verso blank.; [Frontispiece, portrait of Ray].; [iii-iv], Title page, vesro "First published in mcmli | ..."; v-vi, "Contents."; vii-viii, "Illustrations."; ix-xiv, "Preface."; xv, "Abbreviations."; [1 pg], Blank.; 1-150, Text of bibliography.; 151-152, "Appendix | A Note On The Portraits Of Ray."; 153-154, "Index of Copies Recorded."; 155-156, "Printers, Booksellers, and Publishers, | 1660-1942."; 157-163, "General Index."; [1 pg], Blank.

Scarce. Limited to 650 copies and printed on blue paper. A descriptive bibliography of Ray's writings, by a master of the format.

Collection Of English VVords, 1674

2. English, 1674 [First edition].
A | Collection | Of | English VVords | Not Generally used, with their | Significations and Original, in two | Alphabetical Catalogues, | The one of such as are proper to | the Norhern, the other to the | Southern Counties. | With Catalogues of English Birds | and Fishes: And an Account of the | preparing and refining such Metals | and Minerals as are gotten | in England. | [rule] | By John Ray, Fellow of the | Royal Society. | [rule] | London, | Printed by H. Bruges for Tho. Burrell, at the | Golden-Ball udner St. Dunstans Church in | Fleetstreet, 1674.

8°: A-K⁸ L⁴ (A1 blank); 84l.; [16], 1-148, [2] p. Title page in red and black. Last six pages misnumbered 173-6, 777, 178 instead of 143-8.

Contents: A1, Blank.; A2r, Title page.; A2v, Blank.; A3r-A4r, Dedication to Peter Courthope Esquire, signed Jo. Ray.; A4v, Blank.; A5r-A8v, "To the Reader."; 1-80 (B1r-G1v), "Collection of Local Words."; 81-96 (G2r-H1v), "Catalogue of English Birds."; 97-112 (H2r-I1v), "Catalogue of Fishes."; 113-48 (I2r-L3v), "Account of Metals and Minerals."-errata at bottom of L3v.; L4, Blank.

Rare. Ray dedicates his Collection to his friend and college pupil Peter Courthope of Danny in Sussex. He writes that Courthope was `the first that contributed to it and indeed the person that put me upon it.' This is one of Ray's more important publications. In his preface ("To the Reader") Ray explains that he first began to make his list of words for his own use as he came across them in conversation, but finding this to limited a field, he called upon friends throughout the country to supply him other lists. Even so, the collection was not particularly long, therefore, he added to it lists of birds and fishes compiled by Francis Willughby and himself. Further text was added by including tracts on the smelting and refining of silver at The Silver Mills of Cardiganshire, perpetration of tin in Cornwall, the manner of working iron at the forge, notes on husbandry, creation of wire in Monmouthshire, preparation of minium or `Red Lead', the making of salt in Cheshire and Lancashire.

Bibliographical references: Keynes, John Ray, a Bibliography, 1951: no. 23.

3. English, 1691 [2nd edition].
[Contained within a double rule box:] A | Collection | Of | English Words | Not Generally used, with their | Significations and Original, in two | Alphabetical Catalogues, | The One | Of such as are proper to the Northern, | the other to the Southern Counties. | With | An Account of the preparing and | refining such Metals and Minerals | as are gotten in England. | [rule] | The Second Edition, augmented with many | hundreds of Words, Observations, Letters, &c. | By John Ray: Fellow | of the Royal Society. | [rule] | London: | Printed for Christopher Wilkinson, at the | Black Boy over against S. Dunstan's | Church in Fleetstreet. 1691.

12°: A-K¹² (A1 blank); 120l.; [24], 1-211, [5] p.

Contents: A1, Blank.; A2r, Title page.; A2v, Blank.; A3r-A4r, Dedication.; A4v, Blank.; A5r-A12r, "The Preface."; A12v, Blank.; 1-121 (=B1r-G1r), "A Collection of LocalWords."; 122-173 (=G1v-I3r), "A Catalogue of LocalWords paralell'd with British or Welsh by ... Mr Edward Lloyd, A Catalogue of North Country Words received from Mr Tomlinson of Edmund Hall ..., Glossarium Northanhymbricum, An Account of some Errors and Defects in our English Alphabet, Orthography, and Manner of Spelling, Postscript."; 174-211 (=I3v-K10r), "Account of Metals and Minerals."; K10v-K12v, "A Catalogue of some books Printed for Christoph. Wilkinson."

Scarce. In this edition, the preface containing an account of many additional terms, and the section contained on pages 122-173 are new. The main dictionary also has many additions. The Catalogues of Birds and Fishes are omitted. Keynes calls this edition "virtually a new book."

Bibliographical references: Keynes, John Ray, a Bibliography, 1951: no. 24.

4. English, 1874 [3rd edition].
A Collection of English Words ... By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society. To which is appended Thoresby's Letter to Ray, 1703. Rearranged and edited (with introduction, notes, and index) by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat, M.A. London: Published for the English Dialect Society, by Trübner & Co., 57 & 59, Ludgate Hill. MDCCCLXXIV. [Series B. Reprinted Glossaries. XV-XVII.]

8°: xxix, [1], 122 p.

Very scarce. Edited by Walter W. Skeat. The editor gives a complete account of the first two editions, noting that the second is the best, while the first is a help in eliminating misprints. Skeat has changed the arrangement of the original text in order to make it more serviceable as a reference. The letter from Thoresby on Yorkshire words is taken from Derham's edition of the Philosophical Letters (London, 1718).

Bibliographical references: Keynes, John Ray, a Bibliography, 1951: no. 25.

5. English, 1692.
Miscellaneous discorurses concerning the dissolution and changes of the world. : Wherein the primitive chaos and creation, the general deluge, fountains, formed stones, sea-shells found in the earth, subterraneous trees, mountains, earthquakes, vulcan London, : Printed for Samuel Smith ..., 1692.

[28], 259, [1] p. ; 19 cm. (8vo) Signatures: A{200}a{196}B-R{200}S{196} Signatures: A{200}a{196}B-R{200}S{196} Advertisements: p. [1] at end. Advertisements: p. [1] at end. Errata: p. [24] at front. Errata: p. [24] at front. Two printings o Very scarce.

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