Nicholas Culpeper (1616 – 1654)     

Rebellious Herbalist, Astrologer, Physician, Rebel, Surgeon and Author.

Anyone believing in alternative or holistic herbalist medicine will surely know the name Nicholas Culpeper whose ideas, books and studies still have a substantial following today.

 The Culpeper family had, over many centuries been first Court favourites then disgraced; one accused of having an affair with Catherine Howard, Henry V111’s wife, naturally lost his head – literally. However this was a very large family well educated and affluent that in the 17th.century a chance came to build respectability by purchasing a title. This they did and started to build a vast property portfolio of lands including swathes of Sussex, on which he built a huge mansion that today we know as Wakefield Place. However Nicholas Culpeper senior inherited a relatively small sum from his father that enabled him to study and obtain an MA from Cambridge.

He met and married a girl in Isfield where her father Rev. Attersole was Rector. Not long after he was appointed to be Rector of Ockley a parish in Surrey; an opportune moment as his wife was by then pregnant. However things were not to last; soon after obtaining the living of Ockley and just before the birth of his child -he died.  Mary Attersole his wife took him to be buried in Isfield and decided to stay with her father the Rev. Attersole, a highly educated strict puritan. He agreed to undertake the responsibility of the care and education of young Nicholas Culpeper named after his father and so it was that the life of a man who was to become the most famous herbal physician and so called father of alternative medicine took shape. It is interesting that over time the son of Nicholas Culpeper one of the poorer relations of the dynasty should become a famous herbalist, and the Manor of Wakehurst pride of the main Culpeper family, became part of Kew botany gardens as it is to this day.

Despite the Rev. Attersole not being popular with the village people who thought him too high minded he was highly respected as an academic and disciplinarian by the Lords of the Manor the Shurleys (Shirleys). In his Rectory he had an extensive library that young Nicholas was encouraged to use in the hope that he would follow in his grand father’s profession. He was taught Greek and Latin and soon started to expand his reading and interests that he discovered through reading. He found Astrology and medicine especially related to herbs fascinating. Rev. Attersole thought he should concentrate more on the bible and enrolled him at Cambridge University to read Theology. It seems that reading was not his only consuming interest as unbeknown to his Mother and the Reverend he had developed quite a strong relationship with the daughter of one of the rich families in the area.

Although he did study Theology it was soon obvious to him that it was not what he wanted so he started additional studies in Astrology and Medicine.  Now free from the constraints of a strictly Puritan upbringing he soon indulged in other pleasures such as drinking, smoking, playing sports and generally developing a social life. Perhaps it was this that made him pine for his rich girlfriend so much so that he made plans to marry her. Although his family were respected academically they were nowhere near the class that her parents would want for their daughter and would never give their permission to marry. The answer for them was to elope.
They secretly arranged to meet near Lewes and once married go abroad for a year or two until the families became reconciled. Only too soon Nicholas who studied the stars would find they had a way of intervening in human plans; on the way to the secret rendezvous a huge storm broke and his love was struck dead by lightening. With his love (and fortune) now gone he was desolate. Worse was to come when having decided he would no longer continue his studies it resulted in his furious grandfather Attersole disinheriting him.

Fortunately grandfather had promised his daughter (who had died soon after the elopement) he would take care of her son’s education; he arranged for him to undertake an apprenticeship with an apothecary in London and paid £50 in advance. In so doing he rid his responsibility and wished nothing more with the boy. It was this act that propelled Nicholas into the real study and practical experience of collecting and help dispensing herbs used in medicine.

The apothecary died and Nicholas and another apprentice were moved to anther to continue their studies. Having served 5 years of his studies and getting more and more disgruntled with the way physicians used their education as a barrier to the ordinary people receiving help, because they couldn’t understand or pay for their high priced prescriptions. It was now for the second time the stars were to intervene; their heavenly light illuminated another young lady not only beautiful but extremely rich. At the time an apprentice could not be married prior to the full 7-year term. Immediate marriage would mean him having to give up and remain unqualified. This was no hindrance due to the money his marriage would bring so in 1639 he married Alice Field and at once set about setting up as an apothecary, able to prescribe according to the same books used by the physicians by virtue of his education and ability to read and write Latin and Greek. He set up in a poorer part of London to serve the poorest charging very little and often without charge. One day he received a visit from his grandfather’s trustees who were instructed to pass on his inheritance of 40 shillings and informing him that all the other beneficiaries each received £400 – how he must have laughed at this pitiful attempt of malice. He was now  very happy and all was well - but not for long.

At the time England was on the brink of Civil War and Nicholas a determined Puritan and outspoken personality soon found himself embroiled in controversies and possibly a duel.  However as soon as war broke out he enrolled as a front line soldier but was quickly transferred to the medical field station where he became a Field Surgeon.  He used the time to further his practical knowledge along with collecting and discovering herbs until he was shot and wounded in the chest from which he never fully recovered.

He soon started to expand his apothecary work and write but was unable to publish because of censorship but when this was abolished he published the fruit of his studies. His first work incensed the Society of Physicians for he had translated their “bible” the London Pharmacopoeai. Apothecaries who had won a Charter allowing them to practice lawfully could only do so provided they used the remedies in the Pharmacopeai, which was published only in Latin that most apothecaries couldn’t read, and enforcing them to use mainly expensive imported drugs. The translation by Nicholas blew apart their Mafia type conspiracy. Undeterred by all their attempts to stop him he continued to publish more devastating books and unbridled criticism of their antics employed to stop him. He likened his action to the change in church masses that had previously been preached only in Latin, but now the ordinary churchgoer could understand and enjoy the Gospels as they were heard and written in English.

His extensive knowledge of local herbs enabled him to suggest them instead of the expensive imported ones. He combined this with his astrological knowledge and the common people recognised his philosophy as their lives at that time were mainly directed by agricultural produce and seasons of the year. Soon he was to publish his most famous book “TheEnglishPhysician” which was to become a best seller overnight so cheap was the cost and so immediately understandable. Basically it was a DIY book of medicine and locally available herbal remedies.

Always Nicholas had felt that medicine was a “Right” of the people and not the preserve of the rich. He was determined to simplify the mysteries of medicine and in 1653 wrote the “Complete Herbal”. This was the last published in his lifetime as he died in January of the following year at the age of 38 years. It would be nice to think that it was this philosophy that encouraged our 20th century politician Aneurin Bevan to promote The National Health Service for everyone irrespective of wealth.

Although most of us today prefer to rely on manufactured medicinal drugs there is no disputing that plants and herbs are the base from which most are derived but we have lost faith with the Astrological “signatures “ of them. However there are still many followers of the Culpeper principles and his books endure.

He probably died through cancer or pneumonia induced by smoking. He knew before he died that he was a phenomenon and that his studies and discoveries would last and he wrote:

“my fame will continue and increase thereby,
though the period of my life and studies be at hand and I must
bid all things under the sun farewell”

Much more detailed and interesting detail can be found at
http://www.skyscript.co.uk/culpeper.html

or GoogleNicholas Culpeper – Wakehurst Place(3) the Culpeper Connection.

When you start to surf you find numerous other sites to this fascinating man.