John Locke

Antony's: 
visitor
Birth or Baptism date: 
August 29, 1632
Death or Burial date: 
October 28, 1704

Locke was born two months before Leeuwenhoek in 1632.

From 1683 until 1689, Locke lived in the Netherlands as a political exile. He accompanied Mary, William of Orange's wife (and Leeuwenhoek's visitor) back to England in February 1689, after the Glorious Revolution put her husband on the throne.

In 1685, Locke visited Leeuwenhoek and wrote about it in his journal. They were both empiricists. While in the Dutch Republic, Locke wrote An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In it, he about Leeuwenhoek, though not by name.

We know of no exchange of letters between them.

The portrait on the right (click to enlarge) by Herman Verelst was painted in 1689, four years after Locke visited Leeuwenhoek.

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