Dr Woodward's 350-year legacy

摘要

Almost three hundred and fifty years ago, on 1 May 1667, in Draycott, Derbyshire, northern England, John Woodward was born. Although we know precious little about his early life, he left a legacy that has resonated down the centuries. In a letter written in 1723 to a physician friend, John Allen of Bridgewater, five years before he died, Woodward confided that 'I have bequeathd ... an Hundred & Fifty Pounds per annum to the University of Cambridge, which I intreat [sic] you to keep secret...'