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{{Short description|English botanist, naturalist, philosopher and collector}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
| name = Emanuel Mendes da Costa
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{{Infobox scientist
| image = Emanuel_Mendez_da_Costa.jpg
| honorific_suffix = FRS
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| birth_date = 5 June 1717
| death_date = 31 May 1791
| image = Emanuel_Mendez_da_Costa.jpg
| occupation = Clerk of [[The Royal Society]]
| birth_date = {{birth date |1717|06|05 | df = yes}}
| birth_place =
| death_date ={{death date and age |1791|05|31 |1717|06|05 | df = yes}}
| death_place = London, England
| fields = Botanist, naturalist, philosopher
| workplaces = Clerk to the [[Royal Society]]
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| patrons =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| thesis_title = <!--(or | thesis1_title = and | thesis2_title = )-->
| thesis_url = <!--(or | thesis1_url = and | thesis2_url = )-->
| thesis_year = <!--(or | thesis1_year = and | thesis2_year = )-->
| doctoral_advisor = <!--(or | doctoral_advisors = )-->
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for = ''British Conchology'', embezzlement of Royal Society funds
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards =
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| spouses = Leah del Prado, Elizabeth Skillman
| children = One daughter by second wife
| father =Abraham da Costa (Christian name John)
| mother =Esther da Costa (Christian name Joanna)
| relatives =
}}
}}


'''Emanuel Mendes da Costa''' (5 June 1717 – 31 May 1791){{efn|Also spelled Mendez da Costa}} was an [[England|English]] [[Botany|botanist]], [[natural history|naturalist]], [[Philosophy|philosopher]], and collector of valuable notes and of [[manuscript]]s, and of anecdotes of the literati. Da Costa became infamous for embezzling funds while working at the Royal Society and was imprisoned.
'''Emanuel Mendes da Costa''' (5 June 1717 – 31 May 1791){{efn|Also spelled Mendez da Costa}} was an [[England|English]] [[Botany|botanist]], [[natural history|naturalist]], [[Philosophy|philosopher]], and collector of valuable notes and of [[manuscript]]s, and of anecdotes of the literati. Da Costa became infamous for embezzling funds while working at the [[Royal Society]] in London and was imprisoned.


==Biography==
==Biography==


Da Costa came from a Sephardi family that had moved to England in the 1600s from the Iberian peninsula. His parents were Abraham and Esther (with the Christian names of John and Joanna). Abraham is thought to have been in the diamond business. A brother became a wealthy businessman but Emanuel worked in the office of a notary and qualified from the Scriveners' Company in 1762 but had taken an interest in natural history from around 1736. He began to trade in shells, corals and fossils and corresponded with Linnaeus, Sir Hans Sloane and other naturalists of the period. Da Costa was elected one of the first [[Jew]]ish Fellows of the [[Royal Society|Royal Society of London]] in 1747, sponsored by Martin Folkes, the Duke of Montagu, and others. In 1750 da Costa married a cousin Leah whose brother Abraham del Prado was a wealthy contractor for the English army, supplying food. Earlier around 1740 Abraham had employed da Costa in the Netherlands but this led to unpaid debts and resulted in da Costa's imprisonment for two years. In 1763 the death of Francis Hauksbee, who had served for forty years as clerk to the Royal Society led to an opening that he bid for by enlisting the votes and endorsements from his friends and correspondents. He was appointed clerk, librarian and keeper of the repository and housekeeper of the Royal Society. In 1767 he was discovered to be withholding members' subscription fees, was convicted of fraud, and sentenced to five years in debtors' prison. The issue was detected when [[John Hope (botanist)|John Hope]] was listed as an annual instead of perpetual member and sought investigation. Da Costa would release the annual membership amount to the Royal Society but draw interest from the remainder of the life membership subscription. After release he struggled to make a living lecturing about fossils, and dealing in shells and minerals. His last scientific publication was ''British Conchology'' (1778) which included an autobiographical preface. Some friends remained loyal even after his imprisonment. These included Ingham Forster (1725-82) brother of Jacob Forster (1739-1806). Da Costa died in his home in the Strand and was buried in the Bethahaim Velho, 243 mile end road, London.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|first=P.J.P. |last=Whitehead| year= 1977| title=Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717–91) and the ''Conchology, or natural history of shells''| journal= Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Historical Series)|volume= 6| pages=1–24 |url=https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_106673_emanuelmendezdacostaandtheconc1953/page/n1/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/aconite/dacosta.html James Grout: Da Costa and the Venus dione: The Obscenity of Shell Description]</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cantor|first=Geoffrey|date=2001|title=The Rise and Fall of Emanuel Mendes da Costa: A Severe Case of 'The Philosophical Dropsy'?|journal=The English Historical Review|volume=116|issue=467|pages=584–603|doi=10.1093/ehr/116.467.584|jstor=579811|issn=0013-8266}}</ref>
Da Costa came from a [[Sephardi]] family that had moved to England in the 1600s from [[Portugal]]. His parents were Abraham and Esther (with the Christian names of John and Joanna). Abraham is thought to have been in the diamond business. A brother became a wealthy businessman but Emanuel worked in the office of a notary and qualified from the Scriveners' Company in 1762 but had taken an interest in natural history from around 1736. He began to trade in shells, corals and fossils and corresponded with [[Carl Linnaeus]], Sir [[Hans Sloane]] and other naturalists of the period. Da Costa was elected one of the first [[Jew]]ish Fellows of the [[Royal Society|Royal Society of London]] in 1747, sponsored by Martin Folkes, the Duke of Montagu, and others. In 1750 da Costa married a cousin, Leah, whose brother Abraham del Prado was a wealthy contractor for the English army, supplying food. Earlier around 1740 Abraham had employed da Costa in the Netherlands but this led to unpaid debts and resulted in da Costa's imprisonment for two years. In 1763 the death of [[Francis Hauksbee]], who had served for forty years as clerk to the Royal Society, led to an opening that he bid for by enlisting the votes and endorsements from his friends and correspondents. He was appointed clerk, librarian and keeper of the repository and housekeeper of the Royal Society. In 1767 he was discovered to be withholding members' subscription fees, was convicted of fraud, and sentenced to five years in debtors' prison. The issue was detected when [[John Hope (botanist)|John Hope]] was listed as an annual instead of perpetual member and sought investigation. Da Costa would release the annual membership amount to the Royal Society but draw interest from the remainder of the life membership subscription. After release he struggled to make a living lecturing about fossils, and dealing in shells and minerals. His last scientific publication was ''British Conchology'' (1778) which included an autobiographical preface. Some friends remained loyal even after his imprisonment. These included Ingham Forster (1725–82) brother of Jacob Forster (1739-1806). Da Costa died in his home in the Strand and was buried in the Bethahaim Velho, 243 Mile End Road, London.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|first=P.J.P. |last=Whitehead| year= 1977| title=Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717–91) and the ''Conchology, or natural history of shells''| journal= Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series|volume= 6| pages=1–24 |doi=10.5962/p.314510 |url=https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_106673_emanuelmendezdacostaandtheconc1953/page/n1/mode/2up|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/aconite/dacosta.html James Grout: Da Costa and the Venus dione: The Obscenity of Shell Description]</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cantor|first=Geoffrey|date=2001|title=The Rise and Fall of Emanuel Mendes da Costa: A Severe Case of 'The Philosophical Dropsy'?|journal=The English Historical Review|volume=116|issue=467|pages=584–603|doi=10.1093/ehr/116.467.584|jstor=579811|pmid=18711863|issn=0013-8266}}</ref>


Da Costa was also a fellow of the [[Antiquarian Society of London]] from 1752; a member of the Botanic Society in Florence (''Società botanica fiorentina''), the [[Aurelian Society]], and the [[Gentleman's Society at Spalding]]. He was married twice, first to Leah who died in 1763 without issue. His second wife Elizabeth Skillman outlived him and they had a daughter.<ref name=":0" />
Da Costa was also a fellow of the [[Antiquarian Society of London]] from 1752; a member of the Botanic Society in Florence (''Società botanica fiorentina''), the [[Society of Entomologists of London|Aurelian Society]], and the [[Gentleman's Society at Spalding]]. He was married twice, first to Leah who died in 1763 without issue. His second wife Elizabeth Skillman outlived him and they had a daughter.<ref name=":0" />


==Works==
==Works==
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==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=813&letter=C Jewish Encyclopedia]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=813&letter=C Jewish Encyclopedia]
*{{cite journal |last1=Rousseau |first1=G. S. |last2=Haycock |first2=David |title=The Jew of Crane Court: Emanuel Mendes Da Costa (1717–91), Natural History and Natural Excess |journal=History of Science |date=2000 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=127–170 |doi=10.1177/007327530003800201|bibcode=2000HisSc..38..127R}}</ref>
*{{cite journal |last1=Rousseau |first1=G. S. |last2=Haycock |first2=David |title=The Jew of Crane Court: Emanuel Mendes Da Costa (1717–91), Natural History and Natural Excess |journal=History of Science |date=2000 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=127–170 |doi=10.1177/007327530003800201|bibcode=2000HisSc..38..127R|s2cid=161134195 }}
*[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/aconite/dacosta.html James Grout: ''Da Costa and the ''Venus dione'': The Obscenity of Shell Description''], part of the ''Encyclopædia Romana''
*[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/aconite/dacosta.html James Grout: ''Da Costa and the ''Venus dione'': The Obscenity of Shell Description''], part of the ''Encyclopædia Romana''
* [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Costa,_Emanuel_Mendes_da_%28DNB00%29 Wikisource DNB entry]
* [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Costa,_Emanuel_Mendes_da_%28DNB00%29 Wikisource DNB entry]


== External Links ==
== External links ==
*[https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/emanuel-mendes-da-costa-1717-1791-the-royal-society/gAKCb0daZKtiIA?hl=en Emanual Mendes da Costa: the First Jewish Clerk of the Royal Society] at [[Google Arts and Culture]]
*[https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/emanuel-mendes-da-costa-1717-1791-the-royal-society/gAKCb0daZKtiIA?hl=en Emanual Mendes da Costa: the First Jewish Clerk of the Royal Society] at [[Google Arts and Culture]]



{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Da Costa, Emanuel}}
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Image held at London Metropolitan Archives: https://cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

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{{DEFAULTSORT:da Costa, Emanuel Mendes}}
[[Category:1717 births]]
[[Category:1717 births]]
[[Category:1791 deaths]]
[[Category:1791 deaths]]
[[Category:English botanists]]
[[Category:18th-century British botanists]]
[[Category:Conchologists]]
[[Category:Conchologists]]
[[Category:English philosophers]]
[[Category:English philosophers]]
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[[Category:Curiel family]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:British Jews]]
[[Category:English Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Jewish scientists]]
[[Category:Jewish British scientists]]
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[[Category:Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Spanish and Portuguese Jews]]
[[Category:People imprisoned for debt]]
[[Category:People imprisoned for debt]]
[[Category:English librarians]]
[[Category:English librarians]]
[[Category:English people of Portuguese-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:English people of Portuguese-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:People convicted of embezzlement]]

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Image held at London Metropolitan Archives: https://cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

Latest revision as of 12:54, 12 November 2024

Emanuel Mendes da Costa
FRS
Born(1717-06-05)5 June 1717
Died31 May 1791(1791-05-31) (aged 73)
London, England
Known forBritish Conchology, embezzlement of Royal Society funds
SpousesLeah del Prado, Elizabeth Skillman
ChildrenOne daughter by second wife
Parents
  • Abraham da Costa (Christian name John) (father)
  • Esther da Costa (Christian name Joanna) (mother)
Scientific career
FieldsBotanist, naturalist, philosopher
InstitutionsClerk to the Royal Society

Emanuel Mendes da Costa (5 June 1717 – 31 May 1791)[a] was an English botanist, naturalist, philosopher, and collector of valuable notes and of manuscripts, and of anecdotes of the literati. Da Costa became infamous for embezzling funds while working at the Royal Society in London and was imprisoned.

Biography

[edit]

Da Costa came from a Sephardi family that had moved to England in the 1600s from Portugal. His parents were Abraham and Esther (with the Christian names of John and Joanna). Abraham is thought to have been in the diamond business. A brother became a wealthy businessman but Emanuel worked in the office of a notary and qualified from the Scriveners' Company in 1762 but had taken an interest in natural history from around 1736. He began to trade in shells, corals and fossils and corresponded with Carl Linnaeus, Sir Hans Sloane and other naturalists of the period. Da Costa was elected one of the first Jewish Fellows of the Royal Society of London in 1747, sponsored by Martin Folkes, the Duke of Montagu, and others. In 1750 da Costa married a cousin, Leah, whose brother Abraham del Prado was a wealthy contractor for the English army, supplying food. Earlier around 1740 Abraham had employed da Costa in the Netherlands but this led to unpaid debts and resulted in da Costa's imprisonment for two years. In 1763 the death of Francis Hauksbee, who had served for forty years as clerk to the Royal Society, led to an opening that he bid for by enlisting the votes and endorsements from his friends and correspondents. He was appointed clerk, librarian and keeper of the repository and housekeeper of the Royal Society. In 1767 he was discovered to be withholding members' subscription fees, was convicted of fraud, and sentenced to five years in debtors' prison. The issue was detected when John Hope was listed as an annual instead of perpetual member and sought investigation. Da Costa would release the annual membership amount to the Royal Society but draw interest from the remainder of the life membership subscription. After release he struggled to make a living lecturing about fossils, and dealing in shells and minerals. His last scientific publication was British Conchology (1778) which included an autobiographical preface. Some friends remained loyal even after his imprisonment. These included Ingham Forster (1725–82) brother of Jacob Forster (1739-1806). Da Costa died in his home in the Strand and was buried in the Bethahaim Velho, 243 Mile End Road, London.[1][2][3]

Da Costa was also a fellow of the Antiquarian Society of London from 1752; a member of the Botanic Society in Florence (Società botanica fiorentina), the Aurelian Society, and the Gentleman's Society at Spalding. He was married twice, first to Leah who died in 1763 without issue. His second wife Elizabeth Skillman outlived him and they had a daughter.[1]

Works

[edit]

His publications included:

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Also spelled Mendez da Costa

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Whitehead, P.J.P. (1977). "Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717–91) and the Conchology, or natural history of shells". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series. 6: 1–24. doi:10.5962/p.314510.
  2. ^ James Grout: Da Costa and the Venus dione: The Obscenity of Shell Description
  3. ^ Cantor, Geoffrey (2001). "The Rise and Fall of Emanuel Mendes da Costa: A Severe Case of 'The Philosophical Dropsy'?". The English Historical Review. 116 (467): 584–603. doi:10.1093/ehr/116.467.584. ISSN 0013-8266. JSTOR 579811. PMID 18711863.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]

Image held at London Metropolitan Archives: https://cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

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