The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Daniel Colwall ( - 1690)
A founding member and treasurer of the Royal Society, Colwall instigated the Royal Society's repository collection and purchased Robert Hubert's collection with a gift the purchase price of £100 to form the foundation of the repository (Murray 130-31; Pearce et. al.). He also paid for engravings in Nehemiah Grew's catalogue of the collection, Musaeum Regalis Societatis (1681). Although the details of Colwall's early life are obscure, the engraved frontispiece of Colwall in Musaeum Regalis identifies him as "Armiger," implying that he was an immigrant to England. Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6014?docPos=1 Other biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Colwall Donator of object(s)Relationships: Daniel Colwall was a donor to Robert Hubert (fl. 1669-)
Daniel Colwall was a purchaser from Robert Hubert (fl. 1669-)
Daniel Colwall was a donor to Royal Society (-)
Daniel Colwall was a member of Royal Society (-)
Linked print sources: as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - An account of the English alum-works, communicated by Daniel Colwall Esquire.
as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - An account of the way of making English green copperas, communicated by the same.
as Mentions or references - Museums, Their History and Their Use: With a Bibliography and List of Museums in the United Kingdom.
as Mentions or references - The Collector's Voice: Critical Readings in the Practice of Collecting. Volume 2. Early Voices.
References in Documents:
Below the inscription:
To his Honoured Friend
Fellow ofthe
cate a Catalogue of
that Musæum
to your Self, of which you are
the Founder. You having, in your
Devotion to the
up to them That so noble an Hecatombe.
The truth is, I have herein prosecuted, what the
publishing of this Catalogue, had begun: they ha
ving
done the same, as with regard to Common
Use; so to
return that which is but Right to your
Self, and that they might always
wear this Cata
logue, as the Miniature of your abundant Respects,
near their Hearts.
Neither must your Voluntary Undertaking for
the Engraving of the Plates for
this Work, be un
known. You having done this, not only out of
respect to my Self; but likewise in order to a Pub
lique
Good; whereby you are a Benefactor to all
Ingenious Men.
Besides the particular regard you had to the
Society
some) to look a little pale, you intended hereby,
to put some fresh Blood into their Cheeks; pour
ing out your Box of
Oyntment, not in order to
their Burial, but their Resurrection.
To conclude, I have made this Address, not on
ly to do You Right,
but to do Right unto Virtue
it self; and that having proposed your
exemplary
prudence unto others; they may from you, learn,
To use the
redundant part of their Estates, either to
a Charitable end, as
Self; or
the Promotion of Masculine Studies, as in
the present Case: or other
laudable ways, so as with
you, to merit a lasting esteem amongst the wiser
and better part of Mankind.
Sir,
Your very humble
obliged Servant
Copperas.
'Tis white, and form'd almost like Sal
Ammoniac; but
hath the perfect Tast of Green Vitriol. Acids stir it not.
Besides the places mention'd, and others, Green Copperaas
is plentifully made here in
where. The Copperas Stones or Fire-Stones are found on
the Sea-shore in
best of a bright Silver-colour. For the making
of Copperas,
fifteen broad at top; well
ram'd first with Clay, and then
with
Chalk. In these Beds the said Stones are
laid about two
feet thick: which by Sun
and Rain, are gradually dissolv'd;
and
in five or six years time, begin to turn into a kind of
Vitriolick Earth, which will swell and
ferment like levened-
Dough. And once in four years, the Bed is
renewed with
fresh Stones. In a Boyler containing about twelve
Tuns of
Vitriolick Liquor running from the Bed, they
put in by
degrees, about fifteen hundred pounds of old Iron;
which
both quickens the boyling, and prevents the setling and
melting of the Copperas at the bottom
of the Boyler, and
of the Boyler it self. Sometimes, in
stirring the Earth on
the Beds, they find pieces of Native Copperas. See a parti
cular and exact account of these Works at
municated by Mr.
and by Me published in
the a)a)
Of the Nature of Vitriol, see several
considerable Observa
tions grounded on Experiment, in
the same Transactions. (b)
b)
&
Amongst other particulars, an excellent way of purifying
it from its Okre.
The three principal Parts hereof are, an Acid
Spirit, fixed
Salt, and Sulphur. The
last, a good Hypnotick, in some Cases,
where Opium is not safe.
Native Vitriol, saith c) c)
Mus. Met
tity of ʒj in any convenient vehicle, is a great Remedy in
Plague. Blew Vitriol
of ex
cellent use against Venereal
Ulcers. Both of this, and the
Green, is made the
Powder called Sympathetick; the De
scription whereof may be seen in
in Stiptick Liquors of
Mr. Vitriol.
Patomach
colour, and acid-astringent Tast, almost like
that of Alum.
Whether the people there
make Alum of it, or use it in
Deying, we have no account.
Of the Nature of Alum, see a very good
Discourse in d)
and
conti
nu'd,
the Philosophical
Transactions. (d) Of the English Alum- Works an accurate Account, communicated
by
walTransactions. (e)e)
142Alum-Stone (of a blackish colour, and flaky,
like
Cornish
Slate) is found in most of the Hills between
and the
Lee; and
of the Lee, Alum. The Lee after the first shooting of the
Alum; is called Mothers. In which, certain Nitrous and
other parts
call'd Slam, being predominant; to
precipitate
the same, they add the Lees
of Kelp; made of Tangle, a
Sea-Weed commonly among Oysters. And then, a certain
proportion of Urine, both for the same purpose, and to
keep the Kelp-Lees from hardening the
Alum too much.
The Mine, before it is calcin'd, being exposed to
the Air,
will moulder in pieces, and yield a Liquor whereof
Copperas
may be made.
Aq. Aluminis Magistralis, is of good use
against
untoward Ulcers. Deyers boil
their Cloaths, or Yarn
in Alum- Water, that they may take both
a better, and more dura
ble colour. It is used,
likewise, for the making of a Leather
soft and white, or fit
to take a clear colour, which the Tan'd,
will not do. And I
little doubt, but that to wash the Skins
of Beasts or Fowls
herewith on both sides, or perhaps on
the Feathers, only
strewing Alum in fine powder, would be
a good way to keep them from the Moth, and
growing dank
in moist Weather, and so to preserve them for
ever.
Touching
Though much hath been already said and written of Petrification, yet
'tis conceived, that all that comes so far short of a competent stock for
the composing of a perfect History of Petrification, that the incompleteness
thereof ought to awaken the more diligent attention of the Curious, and to
call in their aid for Additions, thereby so to increase and to complete the
Materials for that work, that it may the better serve to clear and make out
the Cause of that Transmutation. And that the rather, because if it lay in the
power of humane Skill (by the knowledge of Nature's works) to raise
Petrification, or to allay, or prevent it, or to order and direct it (which
perchance in time might be attained the said way) much use might be made of
this Art; especially if it could be made Applicable, to hinder the Generation
of the Stone and Gravel in humane Bodies, or to dissolve the Stone, where
'tis formed; besides other valuable Uses, that might be excogitated.
Upon this Consideration, care is, and further will be taken in these Papers,
to record, among other Observables of Nature, what shall be
communi
cated of this kind of Change.
In Numb. 1. 2. and 5.
Argument. Much of it, together with considerable Reflections may be
seen in Boyle's Essay of Firmness: In
other remarques, is recited the Testimony of Petrified Child
seen at Paris, and by the Owner used for a Whetstone: In
storia Infantis in abdomine inventi, & in ducitiem lapideam conversiHook's
related (but perhaps not well enough attested) by Authors, concerning the
stupendious Petrification of whole Companies of Men, and Troops of
Cat
tle; by Purchas
in his Pilgrimage p.
426.Spanish Horsemen)
by
Beale
long since taken out of the Womb of a Woman of his neighbourhood neer
she had born the Stone with extreme torments for 8. or 9. years. The
ope
ration he relates to have been made in Easter last; after which time, he
af
firms to have seen the Stone, and weigh'd it in Gold-Scales, where it
wan
ted somewhat of four Ounces, but had lost of the weight, it formerly had,
whitish colour, lighter than Ash-colour; perchance (saith he) not unlike
to that recited out of Essay of Firmness pag
It had no deep asperities, and had somewhat of an Oval figure, out less at
one end, than a Hen-Egge, and bigger and blunter at the other, than a
Goose egge.
This Stone (so he concludes) is intended for the
Testimony of the Chirurgion, that perform'd the Operation, and other
Wit
nesses of special credit; where also will be annexed the manner of
Operation.
It appears by this last clause (to add that on this occasion) that this Well-
wisher to the Improvement of all usefull knowledge, has taken notice of that
considerable Collection of Curiosities, lately presented to the lately nam'd
Society so their
iel Colwall
care, together with the Donors names and their Beneficence recorded, and the
things preserved for After-ages, (probably much better and safer, than in
their own private Cabinets;) and in progress of Time will be employed for
considerable Philosophical and Usefull purposes; of which perhaps more
largely in another place.