‘Found in all parts of the known world’: Global connections in the collection of John Woodward (1665–1728)

Abstract

The Woodwardian collection is one of the most significant geological collections to survive from the early eighteenth century, but little attention has been paid to the 2,700 specimens acquired by John Woodward from Africa, Asia and North America. Woodward obtained his specimens in a piecemeal fashion, at a time when the structures of empire and transatlantic slavery were developing rapidly, and it is only within the context of empire that the complex history of the Woodwardian collection can be more fully understood. Using catalogues, letters, pamphlets and physical specimens, this paper explores the network of contacts cultivated by John Woodward and the origins of specimens donated to him by merchants, plantation owners and colonial officials. By reading his works "against the grain", this research also uncovers contributions made by collectors of colour, indigenous communities and enslaved people, which have long been concealed within Woodward's catalogues. It concludes with the argument that John Woodward was as curious about humanity as he was about geology, and that a deeper understanding of his collection can only be achieved if we recognise the human relationships embedded within it.