Brief Lives, Vol. 1

Chapter 248: William Gascoigne (1612?-1644).

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About This Book

A collection of concise biographical sketches compiled from the author's manuscript notes, offering anecdotal portraits of a wide range of literary, scientific, political, and social figures across several generations. Entries blend remembered quotations, learned citation, personal recollection, and occasional gossip, producing uneven but vivid character sketches. Material is presented alphabetically and supplemented by antiquarian notes, a short theatrical piece, and facsimiles of manuscript drawings and plans. An introduction outlines editorial principles and reproduces the manuscript spellings and citations where appropriate, preserving the informality and immediacy of the original notes.

William Gascoigne (1612?-1644).

[964]There was a most gallant gentleman and excellent mathematician that dyed [965] in the late warres, one Mr. Gascoigne, of good estate in Yorkshire; to whom Sir Jonas Moore acknowledged to have received most of his knowledge. He was bred up by the Jesuites. I thought to have taken memoires of him; but deferring it, death took away Sir Jonas. But I will sett downe what I remember.

[966]... Gascoigne, esq., of Middleton, neer Leeds, Yorkshire, was killed at the battaile of Marston-moore, about the age of 24 or 25 at most.

Mr. <Richard> Towneley, of Towneley, in Lancashire, esq., haz his papers.—From Mr. Edmund Flamsted, who sayes he found out the way of improveing telescopes before Des Cartes.

Mr. Edmund Flamsted tells me, Sept. 1682, that 'twas at Yorke fight he was slaine.