John Gadbury

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John Gadbury (1627-1704) was an English astrologer, and a prolific writer of almanacs and on other related topics. Initially a follower or disciple, and a defender in the 1650s, of William Lilly, he eventually turned against Lilly and denounced him in 1675 as fraudulent.

His 1652 'Philastrogus Knavery Epitomized was a reply to Lillies Ape Whipt by the pseudonymous Philastrogus[1], defending Lilly, Nicholas Culpeper and others.

He became a High Tory and Catholic convert. He had a number of brushes with the authorities: imprisonment (wrongful) at the time of the Popish Plot and suspicion later of plotting against William III of England; also trouble for omitted Guy Fawkes Day from his almanacs.

[edit] Source

  • Concise Dictionary of National Biography

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ It is now often suggested that Philastrogus was Robert Lilburne.