Annely's Theory of the Winds. Title page to A Theory of the Winds (1729) by Bernard Annely. Although little is known of the author, this paper was read to the Royal Society of London, the leading scientific institution of the day. This paper was one of several attempts in the early 18th century to explain the origin of the winds in terms of natural laws instead of the workings of God. Theories about what caused or influenced winds included solar heating, atmospheric pressure, and elemental vapours. The text at bottom gives the name of the publisher (Jeremy Batley), and the name and location of the book's printer in the Paternoster Row publishing area of London.