FORMAN

forman, simon (1552-1611), english physician and astrologer, was born in 1552 at quidham, a small village near wilton, wiltshire. at the age of fourteen he became apprentice to a druggist at salisbury, but at the end of four years he exchanged this profession for that of a schoolmaster. shortly afterwards he entered magdalen college, oxford, where he studied chiefly medicine and astrology. after continuing the same studies in holland he commenced practice as a physician in philpot lane, london, but as he possessed no diploma, he on this account underwent more than one term of imprisonment. ultimately, however, he obtained a diploma from cambridge university, and established himself as a physician and astrologer at lambeth, where he was consulted, especially as a physician, by many persons of rank, among others by the notorious countess of essex. he expired suddenly while crossing the thames in a boat on the 12th of september 1611. a list of forman's works on astrology is given in bliss's edition of the _athenae oxonienses_; many of his ms. works are contained in the bodleian library, the british museum and the plymouth library. _a brief description of the forman mss. in the public library, plymouth_, was published in 1853.