Simmonite, William Joseph (ca. 1800-ca. 1862)

Prominent leader of the nineteenth-century astrology revival in England. Little is known of Simmonite's life prior to his appearance as a schoolteacher in Sheffield, England, in the 1830s. He knew several languages and was a mathematician. It appears he also practiced herbal medicine. His first book, The Practical Self-teaching Grammar of the English Language, appeared in 1841.

Simmonite emerged as an astrologer in the mid-1840s with the publication of his first astrological text, Prognostications on Revolutions, or Solar Figures (1845). He continued to write through the remainder of his life, greatly expanding the minuscule number of books available to would-be astrologers of the era. His books went through many editions and were republished in the United States at the end of the century as the American phase of the astrology revival commenced. His work was noted for its erudite cast. Simmonite is also credited with simplifying the nature of the calculations required to construct a horoscope chart.

Simmonite lived into the early 1860s, but the date and place of his death are unknown.

Sources:

Holden, James H., and Robert A. Hughes. Astrological Pioneers of America. Tempe, Ariz.: American Federation of Astrologers, 1988.

Simmonite, W. J. The Celestial Philosopher. 2d ed. London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1847.

——. Medical Botany, or Herbal Guide to Health. London: Simpkin, Marshall, [1848].

——. The Prognostic Astronomer, or Horary Astrology. London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1851.

——. Prognostications on Revolutions or Solar Figures. London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1845.