ABSTRACT
Francis Willughby, the naturalist, received his early schooling locally at Sutton Coldfield, where William Hill, a classical scholar of some note, had been master since 1640. Contemporary accounts claim that he showed early promise and that his family encouraged his talents. Francis Willughby's education followed the pattern of his father and other family members, with attendance both at university and one of the Inns of Court. The fieldtrip made by Ray and Willughby, probably in August and early September 1660, has been described by Raven as a 'turning point' in the lives of both men, determining the partnership of interests which would follow. Willughby's collaborative contacts with Ray clearly affected the direction of his early scientific interests. In 1662 a more sustained partnership was begun, following a profound change in Ray's personal circumstances. In Rome Willughby collected illustrations of fish, to be added to those from Germany and Switzerland.
