Thomas Henshaw, The Forgotten Alchemist Who Saved Research

Alchemy, despite its profoundly philosophical and religious roots, is one of the earliest forms of physics and played a vital role in shaping physical practices as they are known today. Due to the general scientific climate concerning alchemy near the end of the scientific revolution, which was uneasy at best and dismissive at worst, many crucial works have been abandoned or lost to time, leaving scholars to piece together this transformative era of science with limited evidence. Although alchemy does not follow the contemporary standards of rigorous science, it was such a crucial stepping stone for the development of empiricism that it would be a great detriment to the history of science to dismiss it, as it laid many foundational principles which provide context for the development of modern physics. An organization of particular note was the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge in 1660 by a council of 12 men. One of the least understood yet most intriguing among them was Thomas Henshaw (1618-1700), an English physicist, alchemist and diplomat. Due to the lack of preservation of alchemical knowledge, not much is known about his works outside what is contained in his correspondence and the few papers preserved by the Royal Society. I will investigate Thomas Henshaw's subtle but effective leadership during the turbulent 1670s through Royal Society correspondence in order to illuminate his role during this revolutionary era: the birth of modern physics. Not only did Henshaw spare the Society from obsolescence, but he was also a key proponent of the modern-day scientific method and conference, both of which are crucial elements of modern physics.