The John Ray Trust is an Essex charity which supports the advancement of natural science education and promotes increased knowledge and awareness of the remarkable work of the ‘father of natural history’ John Ray.

John Ray, 1627-1705, was probably the most distinguished British natural scientist to date, but his genius remains largely unknown to the general public.

Ray produced the first scientific definition of a species, and the modern system of scientific classification is based on his method of grouping species which was further developed in the 1700s by the Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus. Charles Darwin, the 19th century naturalist who wrote The Origin of Species putting forward the theory of evolution, was also influenced by Ray’s work,