Thomas Henshaw, The Forgotten Alchemist Who Saved the Scientific Journal

Alchemy is one of the oldest forms of natural science which developed into modern physics and chemistry upon the birth of empirical tradition and rigorous testing. The generation of scientists of the early to mid 1600s began this transition to empirical science, gradually ending the era of alchemy and replacing it with the physical sciences recognized today. Thus, many of the scientists of the 17th and 18th centuries engaged in both late alchemical and early scientific traditions, making this era extremely unique in the history of science. Thomas Henshaw (1618-1700) was one such alchemist who has been historically understudied given the scope of his influence on modern science. Henshaw was a founding member of the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known today simply as the Royal Society, who contributed diverse research and elegant leadership throughout a very turbulent time in the Society's founding. Through the letters preserved by the Royal Society, this project aims to assess the struggles faced by the Society in the 1670s and how Thomas Henshaw, a little-known secretary, uplifted the trajectory of the world's oldest and most resilient research organization. It can be shown that Thomas Henshaw's efforts played a role in the preservation of the Royal Society and his mentor Henry Oldenburg's plans for the culture of research publications, primarily the peer review process.