Hooke was a somewhat lower class than the other gentlemen in the Royal Society. He was put in charge of actually producing the demonstrations for the society as

Hooke was a somewhat lower class than the other gentlemen in the Royal Society. He was put in charge of actually producing the demonstrations for the society as “Chief Curator.” His lower class status was useful because he could engage with builders/craftsmen and be present in the pubs and meeting houses to pick up information that was otherwise unavailable to the upper class gentlemen. It was for this reason that he could introduce things like cannabis (“the account of the plant”) to the royal society. Yet, we was also very much into esoteric philosophy and occult wisdom — much of which came from his upper class access with Boyle (an alchemist) He also assisted sir Christopher Wren as chief surveyor in rebuilding London after the great fire. An astonishing career. Total polymath.