Men of Kent and Kentishmen/John Wallis
John Wallis,
DIVINE AND MATHEMATICIAN,
Was born at Ashford in 1616, of which parish his father was incumbent. He was educated at Felsted School, Essex, whence he removed to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where, after taking his degree, he was elected a Fellow of Queen's. In 1649 he was appointed Savilian Professor at Oxford, and removing to London, took a leading part in founding the Royal Society. In 1658 he was made Keeper of the Archives at Oxford, and at the Restoration became the King's Chaplain and one of the divines to review the Liturgy. He died at Oxford 28th October, 1703. He was the author of several theological and mathematical works, which were collected and published in 1699. He was an adept in the art of decyphering, an art which he made available to his party, during the civil war.
[See his Life, prefixed to his Works, "Biographia Britannica," Thompson's "History of the Royal Society," etc.]