John Ray Trust

I have been a Trustee of the John Ray Trust since 2015 and became Chair in 2021. The Trust is an Essex based charity which supports the advancement of natural science education and promotes increased knowledge and awareness of the remarkable work of the ‘father of natural history’ John Ray.

Since becoming a Trustee in 2015 I have developed a new website for the Trust, and have enjoyed leading a project to update the interpretation boards in the Trust’s public garden. The garden is situated at the heart of the Braintree and Bocking Public Gardens.

I first became involved with the Trust whilst working at Braintree District Museum, which houses a permanent display about his work. Ray was born in Black Notley in 1627 and lived much of his life there. He founded the scientific study of the natural world in England, producing the first scientific definition of a species and paving the way for Darwin’s theory of evolution. Ray studied an extraordinary number of species, including over 18,000 plants from around the world plus birds, animals, fish and insects.

Ray’s published works also include geology, theology, a three-language dictionary and a collection of English proverbs and words. He is our earliest source for many words in the Oxford English dictionary.

I regularly give talks for the Trust about John Ray’s life and work and the work of the Trust. If you would like more information on the Trust and to request a talk please visit www.johnraytrust.com