Charles Scarborough
English physician and natural philosopher
About Charles Scarborough
Lived 1615 – 1694 (aged 78). Charles Scarborough was an English physician, mathematician, anatomist and politician.
Sir Charles Scarborough or Scarburgh MP FRS FRCP (29 December 1615 – 26 February 1694) was an English physician and mathematician.
Upbringing Scarborough was born in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, Westminster, in 1615, to Edmund Scarburgh and his wife Hannah (Colonel Edmund Scarburgh, prominent Virginia colonist, was his brother), and was educated at St Paul's School, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA, 1637, MA, 1640) and Merton College, Oxford (MD, 1646). While at Oxford he was a student of William Harvey, and the two would become close friends. Scarborough was also tutor to Christopher Wren, who was his assistant for a time.
Royal physician Following the Restoration in 1660, Scarborough was appointed physician to Charles II, who knighted him in 1669; Scarborough attended the king on his deathbed, and was later physician to James II and William and Mary. During the reign of James II, Scarborough served (from 1685 to 1687) as Member of Parliament for Camelford in Cornwall. and a translator and commentator on the first six books of Euclid's Elements, published in 1705. He also appeared as the subject of a poem by Abraham Cowley.
Scarborough died in London on 26 February 1694 and was buried at Cranford, Middlesex. St Dunstan's Church there has a monument to him in Latin and English (as "Scarburgh"), erected by his widow.
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Important facts
People in Charles Scarborough's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Charles Scarborough?
English physician and natural philosopher
When was Charles Scarborough born?
Charles Scarborough was born on 29 December 1615 in London.
When did Charles Scarborough die?
Charles Scarborough died on 26 February 1694 in London.
What was Charles Scarborough's occupation?
Charles Scarborough was a physician, mathematician, anatomist and politician.
What nationality was Charles Scarborough?
Charles Scarborough was English.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Charles Scarborough
· DBpedia: Charles Scarborough
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Charles Scarborough. https://biography.guide/charles-scarborough/
MLA: "Charles Scarborough." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/charles-scarborough/.
Chicago: "Charles Scarborough." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/charles-scarborough/.
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