John Gadbury 1627-1704

John GADBURY 1627-1704

Biographical Note

Born at Wheatley, Oxfordshire, son of Oliver Gadbury, gentleman farmer. Astrologer, almanac compiler. He was briefly apprenticed to an Oxford tailor before moving to London, then back to Oxford where he studied astrology with Nicholas Fiske. In 1655 he published the first of a long annual series of almanacs, and he wrote numerous other works relating to astrology; he became a leading name in the field in his time, though at odds with other astrologers like William Lilly and John Partridge.

Books

Gadbury is listed in Edward Bernard's Catalogi manuscriptorum, 1697, as owning 4 astrological manuscripts. His library was sold by retail sale in London, 29.11.1704, as part of a joint sale with the books of John Windebanke and "a learned divine and lawyer", not identified; no catalogue survives, but the sale was advertised in the Daily Courant.

Characetristic Markings

None of Gadbury's books have been identified.

Sources

• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Curry, Patrick. "Gadbury, John (1627–1704), astrologer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.