58 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
that he was born almost certainly six or seven years later than
his brother—in either 1658 or 1659.51
The earliest fact in connection with him of which we find
a definite record is that, when about sixteen years of age, he
was formally bound apprentice to learn the profession of an
apothecary. Both brothers followed, therefore, the same
occupation. It is recorded52 that, on 5th May 1674 "Samuel,
Dale, son of North: D[ale], of the p'ish of St. Mary Whitechappell,
Middx, silke throier, [was] ex[amine]d, appr[oved], and bound
to Tho. Wells for 8 years:—Fee 4s. 8d." At the same time,
"Tho. Wells, pd quarterage xs." Though thus apprenticed
through the Society of Apothecaries, he appears never to have
taken out his freedom thereof; this being probably unnecessary
to him, as he never practised as an apothecary in the City of
London.53
About the time of the completion of his apprenticeship,
young Dale established himself at Braintree, in Essex, where
he lived for the rest of his life. There, for many years, he
practised as an apothecary; but, during the last few years of
his life (as will be seen), he took a medical degree and practised
also as a physician. If he went to Braintree immediately after
he finished his eight years of apprenticeship, he must have
gone there in 1682; but the Rev. Stephen Newcomen, vicar
of Braintree,54 in a letter dated 16th March, 1744-5, written
to the Rev. Philip Morant, the historian of Essex,68 says ex-
plicitly:—"Mr. Dale came to Braintree in the year 1680."
This, though two years before the completion of his term of
apprenticeship, is probably correct56; for his first child was
born at Braintree in 1681.57
It is worth noting, perhaps, that Dale must have lived
actually in Braintree, and not, as is sometimes stated, in the
51 Very probably the date was never recorded formally, for, during the Commonwealth,
Parish Registers were kept very imperfectly. We are compelled, therefore, to rely on such
other more or less contemporary evidence as is now obtainable. Dawson Turner, in a MS. note
(ii., p. 122) in his copy of Pulteney's Progress of Botany (1790), now in the British Museum, says:
—"He was born at Braintree about 1658," which is certainly wrong as to the place of his birth.
Relham notes (see post, p. 65) that he was 81 when he died, which points also to 1658. On his
portrait engraved by Vertue in 1737, he is described as aged 78; which points to 1659. In a
letter from Newcomen to Morant, written in March 1745 (see post, p. 58), the writer says he was
79 when he died; which points to 1660. On the portrait at Apothecaries' Hall, he is said to
have been 79 when he died; which also points to 1660.
52 Society of Apothecaries' Minute Book, fo. r84a.
53 See Prof. Boulger, in Journ. of Botany, xxi. (1893), p. 193.
54 Appointed 24th March 1709; resigned 1738.
55 It is now in the the collection of Essex material formed by Mr. John Avery, who has 
kindly communicated to me an extract from it.
56 If he was born in 1659, he must have been twenty-one years of age in 1680.
57 See post, p. 59.