John Jonston or Johnston (; or or ; 15 September 1603– ) was a Polish scholar and physician, descended from

Scottish nobility The Scottish Noblesse means nobility in Scotland, including both those with peerage titles as well as those without. The concept was prominently advocated for by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney during his tenure as Carrick Pursuivant of Arms and l ...

and closely associated with the Polish

magnate The term magnate, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

Leszczyński family.

Life

Jonston was born in

Szamotuły Szamotuły (, ) is a town in western Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, about northwest of the centre of Poznań. It is the seat of Szamotuły County and of the smaller administrative district Gmina Szamotuły. The population was 19,090 in ...

, the son of Simon Johnston, who had emigrated to the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

from

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. Jonston's early education was sponsored by one of his two paternal uncles who had come to the Commonwealth with his father. From 1611 Jonston attended the school of the Bohemian Brothers in Ostroróg, then the ''Schoenaichianum'' in

Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...

, and from 1619 the '' gymnasium'' in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

Royal Prussia Royal Prussia (; or , ) or Polish PrussiaAnton Friedrich Büsching, Patrick Murdoch. ''A New System of Geography'', London 1762p. 588/ref> (Polish: ; German: ) became a province of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, which was annexed follow ...

. As a

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

, he could not attend the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

. Consequently he earned his first degree at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

(1622–25; M.A., 1623), where he studied

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

scholastic philosophy Scholasticism was a medieval European philosophical movement or methodology that was the predominant education in Europe from about 1100 to 1700. It is known for employing logically precise analyses and reconciling classical philosophy and C ...

, and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

. His sponsors included the

Primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

of All Scotland, John Spottiswood. In 1625 Jonston returned to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Until 1628 he was a private tutor in the household of the Kurtzbach-Zawadski family in

Leszno Leszno (, , ) is a historic city in western Poland, seat of Leszno County within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Leszno is a former residential cit ...

, where he was an active member of the Czech Brethren community. Around 1625-28 he published ''Enchiridion historiae naturalis'', which in 1657 would be translated into English. In 1628 Jonston traveled to the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

(

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Franeker Franeker (; ) is one of the eleven historical City rights in the Low Countries, cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Waadhoeke. It is located north of the Van Harinxmakanaal and about west of Leeuwarden. As of 2023, it had 13,0 ...

) to resume his studies. He attended the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, where he studied

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and the Universities of Frankfurt,

and

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

, matriculating in 1630. That year he was offered a chair of philosophy at

Deventer Deventer (; Sallaans dialect, Sallands: ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Salland historical region of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Overijssel, ...

but declined it, preferring to return to the Commonwealth to become once again a private tutor. This time he took up a post with Rafał Leszczyński,

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

Bełz Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine, located near the Poland–Ukraine border, border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz ...

, where he tutored his son, Bogusław Leszczyński. In 1632 Jonston travelled abroad with Bogusław and several other Commonwealth magnates' sons. Their first stop was in

(1632), followed by

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

all, that same year, where Jonston published his ''Thaumatographia naturalis''. In 1634 they visited

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, returning to Leiden, where Jonston received an M.D. degree; soon afterward he would receive a second M.D. degree ('' ad eundem'') from Cambridge. That year he also received a

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

from both those universities, for his dissertation ''De febribus'' (On

Fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...

s). Bogusław, Jonston and the others toured Europe until 1636, returning to Poland upon news of Bogusław's father's death. Jonston returned to Leszno, remaining a Leszczyński retainer, in whose service he had the title of ''Archiater et Civitatis Lesnensis Physicus Ordinarius''. In Leszno he was employed at the Leszno gymnasium, where he was a friend of

Comenius John Amos Comenius (; ; ; ; Latinization (literature), Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech Philosophy, philosopher, Pedagogy, pedagogue and Theology, theologian who is considered the father of ...

, who was another important member of the school's faculty. In 1642 Jonston once again turned down an offer to chair a department abroad (this time, that of medicine at Frankfurt). That same year, his ''Idea universae medicinae practicae'' was published in

(it would be translated into English in 1652). Jonston would turn down further offers from

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

and Leiden. In 1652 he purchased (or inherited) an estate at Ziebendorf (now Składowice) near

Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...

. In 1665, following the

Polish-Swedish War This is a List of wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to ...

( The Deluge), which worsened public attitudes toward the Commonwealth's Protestants, he retired from Leszno to his newly bought estate. He remained there for the rest of his life. He died at

around 1675.

Works

* ''Historiae naturalis de quadrupedibus libri, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''Historiae naturalis de insectis libri II, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (Ad Moenum 1653; reissued J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665). * ''Historiae naturalis de insectis libri III, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (deux parties en un volume, J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1667). * ''Historiae naturalis de exanguibus aquaticis libri IV, cum figuris aeneis, Joannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665). * ''Historiae naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''Historiae naturalis de avibus libri VI cum aeneis figuris Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''De Communione veteris Ecclesiae syntagma, ex bibliotheca Johannis Jonstoni,...'' (Elsevir, Amsterdam, 1658). * ''Johannis Jonstonii,... de Festis Hebraeorum et Graecorum schediasma'' (V.J. Trescheri, Bratislava, 1660). * ''Naeukeurige Beschryving Van de Natuur der Vier-voetige dieren, ... en Draken''. Dutch translation by M. Grausius of the ''Historiae naturalis ...'' libri I-VI (I. I. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1660). Some copies with contemporary hand-coloured engravings exist. * ''Magni Hippocratis,... Coacae praenotiones, graece et latine... cum versione D. Anutii Foesii,... et notis Joh. Jonstoni,...'' (Elsevir, Amsterdam, 1660). * ''Idea hygieines recensita, libri II. Johannes Jonstonus,... cum cura revidit'' (V.J. Trescheri, Jena, 1661, reissued 1667). * ''Notitia regni mineralis, seu Subterraneorum catalogus, cum praecipuis differentiis'' (V.J. Trescheri, Leipzig, 1661). * ''Notitia regni vegetabilis, seu Plantarum a veteribus observatarum... in suas classes redacta series'' (V.J. Trescheri, Leipzig, 1661). * ''Dendrographias, sive historiae naturalis de arboribus et fructicibus, tam nostri quam peregrini orbis, libri decem, figuris aeneis adornati, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit...'' (M. Meriani, Frankfurt, 1662). * ''Historiae naturalis de serpentibus, libri II, Joannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1667). * ''A Description of the Nature of Four-footed Beasts'' (London, 1678). An English translation of ''Historiae naturalis de quadripedibus'', with 80 engraved illustration

*

Notes

External links

*
bio at Galileo Project
accessed on February 24, 2006
Zoologica

Göttingen State and University Library The Göttingen State and University Library ( or SUB Göttingen) is the library for Göttingen University as well as for the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and is the state library for the German State of Lower Saxony. One of the largest German ...

as Jan Jonston ''Historiæ Natvralis'' volumes *Jonstonus, Joannes (1649
''Historiæ naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V.''
-

Linda Hall Library The Linda Hall Library is a privately endowed American library of science, engineering and technology located in Kansas City, Missouri, on the grounds of a urban arboretum. It claims to be the "largest independently funded public library of sc ...

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1650
''Historiæ naturalis de avibus libri VI''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1650
''Historiæ naturalis de quadrupetibus''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1653
''Historiæ naturalis de insectis. Libri III. de serpentibus et draconib., Libri II''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1602
Inscriptiones historicae regum scotorum, continuata annorum serie a Fergusio primo regni conditore ad nostra tempora
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonston, John 1603 births 1675 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews People from Szamotuły Polish people of Scottish descent Polish Calvinist and Reformed Christians Polish naturalists 17th-century Polish physicians 17th-century Polish botanists Polish entomologists

Life

Works

See also

Notes

External links