The publication of Clavis Astrologiae Elimata in 1669 established Henry Coley as a significant voice in seventeenth-century mathematics and celestial inquiry. Born in Oxford in 1633, he transitioned from a military clerk and ladies' tailor to a specialized academic figure, operating an extensive teaching practice in Baldwins Gardens that encompassed disciplines ranging from trigonometry to navigation.
Early Career and Education
The son of a joiner, Coley entered service as a clerk within the Parliamentary army in 1648. He moved to London by 1654, where he worked in the garment industry. Following personal losses, including the deaths of his wives and a child, he pursued self-directed study, mastering French, Latin, astrology, and various mathematical branches. By 1663, he settled in Baldwins Gardens to provide professional instruction.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Mathematical Practice and Publication
Coley’s reputation was bolstered by his 1669 work, Clavis Astrologiae Elimata; or a Key to the whole Art of Astrology, new filed and polished. The text earned an enlarged second edition in 1676, dedicated to Elias Ashmole. In 1672, he inaugurated an annual almanac, which he maintained until his death in 1704. He further refined existing pedagogical texts, including Joseph Moxon's Mathematics made easy in 1692 and William Forster's Arithmetic in 1686.
Professional Succession
Beginning in 1677, Coley served as the amanuensis for William Lilly, managing the latter's judgment and observations during his final years. Lilly shared his private methods, or 'Arcana,' with Coley during summer visits to Hersham.
Fast facts
- Born: 18 October 1633, Oxford
- Died: 30 April 1704, London
- Citizenship: Kingdom of England
- Primary occupations: Astrologer and mathematician
- Burial site: Presbyterian Church Of St Andrew, Hampstead
- Key publication: Clavis Astrologiae Elimata (1669)
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Henry Coley teach?
He instructed clients in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, navigation, dialling, surveying, gaging, measuring, and all branches of astrology.
What was his relationship with William Lilly?
Coley acted as Lilly's amanuensis starting in 1677 and eventually inherited the production of Lilly’s almanac, Merlini Anglici Ephemeris, in 1681.
