- Richard Napier
"Note that Dr. Richard Napier may be confused with his nephew, Dr. Richard Napier (1607-1676) who was also a physician and astrologer."
Richard Napier, (
1559 -1 April 1634 ) was a prominent Englishastrologer and medical practitioner.Biography
Also known as Dr Richard Sandy, he was the son of Sir Robert Napier of
Luton Hoo ,Bedfordshire . He was a pupil ofSimon Forman and inherited his copy of thePicatrix (now in theBritish Library ). He became rector ofGreat Linford ,Buckinghamshire in 1589.He appointed a curate to preach in his place while he practised astrology, which was intertwined with his devout
Anglicanism andmedicine . He claimed to speak with thearchangel Raphael frequently, and occasionally with the archangel Michael. His clients included Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland as well as theEarl of Bolingbroke andLord Wentworth , who reputedly protected him from the actions of magistrates.His sister, Mary Napier married Sir
Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle , the son of SirThomas Myddelton ,Lord Mayor of London who was also one of his patients.It was said of him that he was so devout that his knees grew horny by much praying, and he reputedly died in that posture on April 1, 1634 and was buried on April 15.
His many papers came into the hands of
Elias Ashmole and are now in theBodleian Library ,Oxford .External links
* [http://met.open.ac.uk/genuki/big/eng/BKM/GreatLinford/Index.html Page on Great Linford containing a short bio of Richard Napier]
* [http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/sueward/articles/Bio_sketches.htm#Richard%20Napier Bio of Richard Napier]
* [http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/april/1.htm Another bio of Richard Napier]
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