Leigh, Charles

, a naturalist and physician of the seventeenth century, was born at Grange, in Lancashire. He entered in 1679, of Brazen-nose college, Oxford, and took a bachelor’s degree in arts, whence he removed to Cambridge, and proceeding in the faculty of medicine, afterwards practised in London with considerable reputation. He was admitted a member of the royal society in May 1685. He left the following works: “The Natural History of the Counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, &c.” London, 1700, folio, with plates. Into this | is incorporated the best part of the following publication “Phtbisiologia Lancastrieusis, cum tentamine philosophico de Miueralibus Aquis in eodem comitatu observatis,” London, 1694, 8vo. “Exercitationes quinque de Aquis Mineralibus, Thermis calidis, Morbis acutis, Morbis intermittentibus, Hydrope,” ibid. 1697. “History of Virginia,” drawn up from observations made during a residence in that country, London, 1705, 12mo. Of his “Natural History of Lancashire,” bishop Nicolson speaks with great, and, as Mr. Gough thinks, deserved contempt. The coini described in this book were left to Mr. Prescot of Catherine-­hall, Cambridge. The time of his death is not mentioned in any of the accounts we have seen of him. ¹