c. 1292-1336

English Scholar

Best known for the astronomical clock he constructed while serving as abbot of St. Albans in England, Richard of Wallingford was perhaps the first known clockmaker in history. A man of wide-ranging interests, Richard studied and recorded tides, wrote on arithmetic and trigonometry, designed astronomical instruments, and conducted studies of the heavens. At the same time he maintained one of the most powerful positions in the medieval English church.

Sometimes referred to as Richard Walling-ford, the latter being the name of his hometown, Richard was the son of a blacksmith who died when he was 10 years old. After that time he came under the protection of William of Kirkeby, a prior at the Benedictine abbey of St. Albans. This institution figured heavily in Richard's life, and remained his home until William sent him to school at Oxford. He studied there...