Family Name: Boullier
First Name: David
Birth Date: Mon, Mar 23, 1699
Birth Place: Utrecht
Death Date: Sun, Dec 23, 1759
Death Place: Utrecht
Main places of activity:
Place From To
London 1720 1733
Place From To
Amsterdam 1733 1748
Place From To
Utrecht 1750 1758
Personal info:
Education

After an early education probably with his parents, Boullier studied at Utrech University from 1715 and followed the lectures of Pierre and François Burman, Joseph Serrurier, Herman Alexandre Roéll and Jean Jacques Vitriarius. He defended in 1716 a thesis entitled De existentiâ Dei. He then probably studied theology.

Career

He was elected in 1721 to the Castle Street Church in London, where he was ordained by Edmond Gibson, the Bishop of London, on 22nd December 1723. He seems also to have preached in Amsterdam, which he visited regularly. His London parishioners apparently disliked his condescending behaviour, and in 1726 he moved to the Savoy Church. In 1734 he moved to the Walloon Church in Amsterdam, where he gave his first sermon on 13th June  1734. He resigned on 30th March 1749 and returned to the Walloon Church in London, but in 1751 he resigned and retired to Utrecht, refusing other offers of livings or professorships.
Translations Other Works

translations activities

The only published translation by Boullier that we know of was his translation of Berkeley's Siris, but he may have translated some extracts of English works or articles from English-language periodicals in French-language periodicals. His 'Extrait de la Vie du Dr. Tillotson par Thomas Birch, Londres 1752", published in the Dutch edition of the Journal des Savants in July 1753, was a free translation of an article in the Monthly review.

secondary bibliography references

Bruno Lagarrigue, article in Dictionnaire des Journalistes, which also provides manuscript and bibliographical references: http://dictionnaire-journalistes.gazettes18e.fr/journaliste/101-david-boullier

Richard H. Popkin, "David-Renaud Boullier and Bishop Berkeley", in The High Road to Pyrrhonism, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1993, p. 355-62.

John C. O’Neal, 'L’évolution de la notion d’expérience chez Boullier et Condillac sur la question de l’âme des bêtes', Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'Encyclopédie, 29 (2000), p. 149-75.


Translations

  • Siris: a Chain of Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tar Water.

  • Translation Title: Recherches sur les vertus de l'eau de goudron, où l'on a joint des réflexions philosophiques sur divers autres sujetc
  • Original Author: George Berkeley
  • Original title: Siris: a Chain of Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tar Water.
  • Publ. Year From: 1743 to:
  • lang: English
  • Title: Siris: a Chain of Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tar Water.
  • Publisher: W. Innys, C. Hitch, C. Davis
  • Pub. Place: Dublin and London
  • Pub. Year: 1743
  • Note:

    Boullier indicates in his Preface that he has translated the work from the "Third edition, recently published in Dublin", with the author's approval, and takes account of manuscript additions and corrections communicated by the author (Avertissement du traducteur, p. xx).

  • Translation: Recherches sur les vertus de l'eau de goudron, où l'on a joint des réflexions philosophiques sur divers autres sujetc
  • Publisher: Pierre Mortier
  • Pub. Place: Amsterdam
  • Pub. Date: 1744
  • Lang: French
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By:

  • Ann Thomson