Henry Coley

Coley was born, as shown in an inscription round a portrait of him by Robert White, found in some of his works, on 18 October 1633 in Oxford.

In 1648 he became a clerk in the Parliamentary army; in 1654 he moved to London and worked as a ladies' tailor in Gray's Inn Lane.

The editor of Lilly's Autobiography tells us: "His judgments and observations for the succeeding years till his death were all composed by his directions, Mr. Coley coming to Hersham the beginning of every summer, and stayed there till by conference with him he had despatched them for the press; to whom at these opportunities he communicated his way of judgment and other 'Arcana.

'"[2] Lilly constantly makes reference in his works to Coley's merit as a man and as a professor of mathematics and occult science.

Coley attained considerable distinction as a mathematician: we are told by his almanac that he taught "arithmetic, vulgar, decimal, and logarithmical, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, navigation, the use of the celestial and terrestrial globes, dialling, surveying, gaging, measuring, and the art of astrology in all its branches," at Baldwins Gardens.