Hales, Stephen, Dd, Frs

Hales, Stephen, D.D., F.R.S.

a Church of England divine, was born September 7, 1677. He entered Corpus Christi College in 1696, graduated A.B. in 1701, A.M. in 1703, and B.D. in 1711, greatly distinguishing himself meanwhile as a botanist, anatomist, and astronomer. In 1710 he was presented to the perpetual curacy of Teddington, Middlesex, and afterwards accepted the living of Porlock, Somersetshire, which he exchanged for the living of Farringdon, Hampshire. On March 13, 1717, or 1718, he was elected a member of the Royal Society. In 1725 he published a valuable work on Vegetable Statistics, and in 1733 a sequel to it, entitled Statistical Essays. He published a very popular work on Temperance; and in 1739 an 8vo volume entitled, Philosophical Experiments on Sea-water, Corn, Flesh, and other Substances. Dr. Hales also published several sermons and many papers in the Phil. Trans., etc. He died at Teddington, January 4, 1761. See Masters, Hist. of E.C.C.C.; Annual Register, 1764, page 42; Gentleman's Magazine, volume 69; Butler, Life of Hildesley, page 362; Lysons, Environs; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.