John Partridge was one of the foremost English astrologers of his time, some say perhaps the last major representative of the living astrological tradition in England, indeed in the Western world. However, he was not a first-class exponent, leaving enough room for Swift to get away with calling him a fraud and a quack. He was the author and publisher of some very well-known (at the time) astrological almanacs and books.

Partridge's life

Partridge was born January 18th, 1644 (OS) in East Sheen, England, and died in either 1714 or 1715.

Although starting out in life humbly enough (he was working as a shoemaker in Covent Garden around 1680), Partridge managed to teach himself enough Latin, Greek, Hebrew and astrology to enrol at Leyden University, Holland. He graduated in Medicine and by 1682 was styling himself 'Physician to his Majesty'. Although he was one of the sworn physicians of the court, he apparently never attended - nor received any salary.

Partridge undertook to himself the task of "reforming" astrology. Unfortunately his "reforms" mostly involved the elimination of anything in traditional astrology that he did not understand, much to the regret of later generations.

Swift Hoax

The famous author and cynic Jonathan Swift, writing under the name of Isaac Bickerstaff in 1707 managed to ridicule Partridge by perpetrating a famous hoax on him. Predicting his death "by a raging fever" on Mar 29th 1708 and afterwards following this up with false information that he had died, Swift caused Partridge enormous trouble trying to convince people he was still alive and well - it took him four years to recover, mainly because many other writers joined in and helped perpetuate the joke. Swift's motive was that Partridge (a protestant) had been writing against the Catholic Church. See MuseumOfHoaxes.com for more information on this.

Books

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Partridge' John: "Mikropanastron" - A textbook of traditional horary, electional and natal astrology.

• First published in 1679.
  
• Included in the book were several sets of aphorisms including the famous Centiloquium, the 100 sayings attributed to Ptolemy.
  
• A key text of traditional astrology.
  
• A 2005 facsimile reprint may still be available.

Partridge' John: "Opus Reformatum" (subtitle: "Treatise of Astrology in which The Common Errors of that Art are Modestly Exposed and Rejected").

• First published in 1693.
  
• Reprint publisher: Kessinger Publishing, January 2004.
  
• ISBN 0766184714

1644 births | 1715 deaths English astrologers