# Ralph Button

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'''Ralph Button''' (died 1680) was an English academic and clergyman, [Gresham Professor of Geometry](/source/Gresham_Professor_of_Geometry), canon of [Christ Church, Oxford](/source/Christ_Church%2C_Oxford) under the Commonwealth, and later a nonconformist schoolmaster.

==Life==
He was the son of Robert Button of [Bishopstone](/source/Bishopstone%2C_Swindon), [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), and was educated at [Exeter College](/source/Exeter_College%2C_Oxford), Oxford. He proceeded B.A. in 1630; in 1633 the Rector of Exeter, [John Prideaux](/source/John_Prideaux), recommended him to [Sir Nathaniel Brent](/source/Sir_Nathaniel_Brent), the Warden of [Merton College](/source/Merton_College), for a fellowship in his college. The fellowship was conferred on him, and he became known in the university as a successful tutor. Among his pupils were [Zachary Bogan](/source/Zachary_Bogan), [Anthony à Wood](/source/Anthony_%C3%A0_Wood), and [John Murcot](/source/John_Murcot).<ref>For Murcot, [Benjamin Brook](/source/Benjamin_Brook), ''The Lives of the Puritans'' (1813) vol. iii, p. 224.</ref>

On the outbreak of the [First English Civil War](/source/First_English_Civil_War) in 1642, Button, who sympathised with the parliamentarians, moved to London, and on 15 November 1643 was elected Professor of Geometry at [Gresham College](/source/Gresham_College), in the place of [John Greaves](/source/John_Greaves). In 1647 he was nominated a delegate to aid the [parliamentary visitors](/source/Parliamentary_visitation_of_the_University_of_Oxford) at Oxford in their work of reform, and apparently resumed his tutorship at Merton. On 18 February. 1648 Button was appointed by the visitors junior proctor; on 11 April he pronounced a Latin oration before [Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke](/source/Philip_Herbert%2C_4th_Earl_of_Pembroke), the new chancellor of the university, and on 13 June he resigned his Gresham professorship. On 4 August he was made canon of Christ Church and public orator of the university, in the place of [Henry Hammond](/source/Henry_Hammond), who had been removed by the parliamentary commission. At the same time Button declined to supplicate for the degree of D.D. on the ground of the expense; Wood says that he had then lately married.{{citation needed|date= August 2023}}

Button showed independence in successfully resisting the endeavour of the visitors to expel [Edward Pocock](/source/Edward_Pococke) from the Hebrew and Arabic lectureship on the ground of political disaffection. At the [Restoration](/source/English_Restoration) Button was ejected from all his offices and his place at Christ Church was taken by [John Fell](/source/John_Fell_(clergyman)). Leaving Oxford, he went to [Brentford](/source/Brentford), where he kept a school; he taught alongside [Thomas Pakeman](/source/Thomas_Pakeman) who was his neighbour.<ref>{{DNB Cite|wstitle=Pakeman, Thomas}}</ref> [Richard Baxter](/source/Richard_Baxter) says that he was soon afterwards imprisoned for six months for teaching and not having taken the Oxford oath. At the date of the ''[Declaration of Indulgence](/source/Declaration_of_Indulgence_(1672))'' (1672) Button moved to [Islington](/source/Islington), and [Joseph Jekyll](/source/Joseph_Jekyll) lived with him as his pupil. He died at Islington in October 1680, and was buried in the parish church. A son died and was buried at the same time. Baxter in ''Reliquiae Baxterianae'' speaks highly of him. He left a daughter, who married Dr. Boteler of London.{{citation needed|date= August 2023}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{DNB|wstitle=Button, Ralph}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Button, Ralph}}
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:1680 deaths
Category:Ejected English ministers of 1662
Category:Dissenting academy tutors
Category:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
Category:Fellows of Merton College, Oxford

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ralph Button](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Button) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Button?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.