- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 02 Mar 2025 11:51 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A recent study published in the Royal Society’s journal Notes and Records suggests that Sir Isaac Newton may have used ink made with beer to write his groundbreaking theory of gravity. This discovery, reported by The Telegraph, is based on Newton’s own writings, which include recipes for two types of ink—one made with wine and another with “strong beer or ale.”
A study conducted by historian Stephen Snobelen from Dalhousie University and King’s College, along with molecular biologist Carmichael Wallace, has brought this fascinating aspect of Newton’s work to light. Having spent nearly two decades analysing Newton’s personal beer flagon—a wooden drinking vessel passed down through generations—they believe that Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, the cornerstone of modern physics, was written using ink containing beer.
Newton’s beer-based ink, he noted, would “endure many years,” and researchers now believe this homemade formula may have been extensively used in his work. While it is uncertain whether Newton himself was a lover of beer, his ink has undeniably stood the test of time. His writings remain legible centuries later, thanks to the durability of the beer-based mixture.
“Although chemical analysis of the ink in Newton’s voluminous manuscript corpus has yet to be carried out, many 17th-century authors used beer as a solvent in their home-made writing ink,” Snobelen said, as per The Telegraph. “Newton’s two surviving ink recipes confirm that he followed in this craft, at least while he was at Cambridge.”
Journey of Newton’s Beer Flagon
Newton’s wooden flagon, a type commonly used for beer drinking, was gifted to his longtime roommate and occasional laboratory assistant, John Wickins. The flagon, along with other personal belongings, was passed down through the Wickins family before eventually making its way into the hands of the Wallace family.
Snobelen and Wallace’s research, spanning nearly 20 years, involved the meticulous examination of letters, genealogical records, family wills, magazines, newspapers, and even a poem. Their findings, now published in Notes and Records, indicate that Newton’s beer mug was treasured as a “holy relic” by the Wickins and Hussey-Freke families.
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The significance of Newton’s beer flagon is reflected in The Gentleman’s Magazine (1802), where John Wickins’ grandson, James Wickins, referred to it as a “pint flaggon.” It was publicly exhibited on at least three occasions, with its last known display in 1865. Its appearance at the Salisbury Exhibition of Local Industry and Art in 1852 even inspired a poem:
Newton’s Legacy on Display
Newton was elected to the Royal Society in 1672 and served as its president from 1703 until his death in 1727. For the first time in 160 years, from March 4, Newton’s beer flagon will be on public display at the Royal Society. Visitors will also have the chance to view items from the Royal Society’s archives, including Newton’s Principia and his death mask, which was created shortly after his passing as a reference for sculptors.