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— CH. 1 · THE BOY FROM TOWER WARD —

John Dee

~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • John Dee was born in the Tower Ward of London on the 13th of July 1527. His father Rowland Dee served as a mercer and courtier to Henry VIII. The family name Dee comes from the Welsh word du, meaning black. Dee traced his lineage back to Rhodri the Great, a ninth-century ruler of Gwynedd. He attended Chelmsford Chantry School from 1535 until 1542. At age fifteen he entered St John's College Cambridge in November 1542. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree by early 1546. Dee became an original fellow of Trinity College when it opened in 1546. He designed stage effects for Aristophanes' play Peace using pulleys and mirrors. This mechanical contrivance created the illusion of a scarab flying to Jupiter's palace. Dee later claimed this engineering feat launched his reputation as a magician.

  • Elizabeth I ascended to the throne in 1558 and appointed Dee as her astrological advisor. He chose her coronation date and converted to Protestantism that same year. From the 1550s through the 1570s Dee advised England's voyages of discovery. He provided technical aid in navigation and political support for colonization efforts. Dee wrote to William Cecil on the 17th of February 1554 seeking patronage. He mentioned occult knowledge of treasure in the Welsh Marches. In October 1574 Dee sent another letter to Cecil about valuable manuscripts at Wigmore Castle. The Lord Treasurer's ancestors came from that area. Dee published a manuscript titled Brytannicae reipublicae synopsis in 1570 outlining state strength. His work On the Mystical Rule of the Seven Planets appeared between 1582 and 1583. Dee advocated establishing colonies abroad to strengthen England economically. He used Geoffrey of Monmouth's accounts of King Arthur to argue for English territorial claims. Dee asserted Brutus of Britain and Madog ab Owain Gwynedd had conquered lands in the Americas. This gave Elizabeth I a prior claim over Spain.

  • Dee met Edward Kelley in 1582 who impressed him with his abilities. Kelley then called himself Edward Talbot. Dee took Kelley into his service and devoted all energies to supernatural pursuits. These spiritual conferences were conducted after periods of purification prayer and fasting. Angels dictated several books through Kelley in a special angelic or Enochian language. Dee records these events in his journals. In September 1583 Dee left England with Kelley and their families. They traveled to Poland where Albert Łaski invited them back. Łaski proved bankrupt and out of favor in his own country. The pair lived a nomadic life across Central Europe while continuing their spiritual conferences. They had audiences with Emperor Rudolf II at Prague Castle. They also met King Stephen Báthory at Niepołomice Castle near Kraków. Dee did pen a covert letter to spymaster Francis Walsingham stating England suspected activities there. In 1587 Kelley told Dee that the angel Uriel ordered them to share possessions including wives. Dee broke off the conferences immediately after this order. He returned to England in 1589 while Kelley became alchemist to Emperor Rudolf II. Nine months later on the 28th of February 1588 a son named Theodorus Trebonianus Dee was born.

  • Dee returned to Mortlake after six years abroad to find his home vandalized. His library lay ruined with many prized books and instruments stolen. Increasing criticism of occult practices made England less hospitable to his magical work. Elizabeth appointed Dee warden of Christ's College Manchester in 1595. This institution had been re-established as Protestant by royal charter in 1578. Dee could not exert control over fellows who despised or cheated him. Early in his tenure he consulted on demonic possession of seven children. He took little interest but allowed others to use his still-extensive library. Dee left Manchester in 1605 to return to London though he remained warden until death. Elizabeth died and James I gave him no support. Dee spent final years in poverty at Mortlake selling possessions for survival. His daughter Katherine cared for him until his death late in 1608 or early 1609. He died aged eighty-one. His precise date remains unknown since parish registers and gravestone are missing. A memorial plaque installed in 2013 now marks the south wall of St Mary the Virgin church.

  • Dee lectured on Euclidean geometry at Paris University while in his early twenties. He studied closely with Gerardus Mercator and owned important maps globes and astronomical instruments. Dee developed new instruments and special navigational techniques for polar regions. He served as advisor to English voyages of discovery personally selecting pilots. Dee trained many who would conduct England's voyages of discovery. His Mathematical Preface to Billingsley's translation of Euclid appeared in 1570. This work argued mathematics influenced all other arts and sciences. It proved Dee's most widely influential and frequently reprinted work. The preface included demonstrations readers could perform without special education. Dee chose English over Latin to make writings accessible to the public. He applied Copernican theory to calendar reform problems. In 1583 he advised Queen Elizabeth on the Gregorian calendar from Pope Gregory XIII. Dee suggested eleven days adjustment rather than ten to restore time to Jesus' birth. He proposed aligning civil and liturgical years starting January first. England spurned these papist origin suggestions despite their merit. Dee believed numbers were basis of all things and key to knowledge.

  • Sir Robert Cotton bought land around Dee's house ten years after his death. He dug for papers finding manuscripts mainly records of angelic communications. Cotton's son gave these to scholar Méric Casaubon who published them in 1659. Casaubon wrote a long introduction critical of Dee calling him a dupe. This book created an image of Dee as deluded fanatic for two-and-a-half centuries. Members of Rosicrucian movement claimed Dee as one of their number though no evidence exists. His reputation made him irresistible to fabulists and writers of horror stories. Historians Charlotte Fell Smith and Frances Yates led revaluation in twentieth century. They brought focus to parallel roles of magic science and religion in Renaissance. Fell Smith stated Dee was too far advanced in speculative thought for his age. Dee is now viewed as serious scholar devoted Christian able scientist. His Mortlake library was largest in country before vandalism. It cost enormous sometimes ruinous personal expense. Dee promoted sciences of navigation and cartography. He tutored Sir Philip Sidney and relations with ministers Francis Walsingham and William Cecil. The Municipal Borough of Richmond named Dee Road near Mortlake in honor of John Dee.

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1527 births1600s deaths16th-century alchemists16th-century astrologers16th-century English astronomers16th-century English mathematicians16th-century English philosophers16th-century occultists17th-century occultistsAdvocates of colonizationAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAngelic visionariesCeremonial magiciansChristian KabbalistsCourt of Elizabeth ICreators of writing systemsEnglish alchemistsEnglish astrologersEnglish geographersEnglish occult writersEnglish people of Welsh descentFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeHermeticistsHistory of magicImperialismMortlake, LondonOld University of Leuven alumniPeople acquitted of treasonPeople from the City of LondonPeople of the Elizabethan eraThe TempestWelsh alchemistsWelsh geographersWelsh occult writersWelsh philosophers

Common questions

When was John Dee born and where did he grow up?

John Dee was born in the Tower Ward of London on the 13th of July 1527. He grew up in London as the son of Rowland Dee who served as a mercer and courtier to Henry VIII.

What role did John Dee play during Elizabeth I's reign?

Elizabeth I appointed John Dee as her astrological advisor after she ascended to the throne in 1558. He advised England's voyages of discovery from the 1550s through the 1570s by providing technical aid in navigation and political support for colonization efforts.

Who was Edward Kelley and how did they work together?

John Dee met Edward Kelley in 1582 who impressed him with his abilities before taking him into service. They conducted spiritual conferences where angels dictated books through Kelley in a special angelic or Enochian language until their partnership ended in 1587.

Why is John Dee known for his Mathematical Preface to Billingsley's translation of Euclid?

The Mathematical Preface to Billingsley's translation of Euclid appeared in 1570 and proved to be John Dee's most widely influential and frequently reprinted work. This text argued that mathematics influenced all other arts and sciences while including demonstrations readers could perform without special education.

How did John Dee die and what happened to his library?

John Dee died late in 1608 or early 1609 at age eighty-one while living in poverty at Mortlake. His home had been vandalized six years prior when he returned abroad leaving his library ruined with many prized books and instruments stolen.

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