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MEMOIRS OF THE DISTINGUISHED MEN OF SCIENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN LIVING IN THE YEARS 1807-8.
MEMOIRS OF THE DISTINGUISHED MEN OF SCIENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN LIVING IN THE YEARS 1807-8.
AND APPENDIX. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ROBERT HUNT, F.R.S., &c. COMPILED AND ARRANGED BY WILLIAM WALKER, JUNIOR. Second Edition. LONDON: E. & F. N. SPON, 16, BUCKLERSBURY. 1864. LONDON: W. DAVY AND SON, PRINTERS, GILBERT STREET, OXFORD STREET, W....
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WILLIAM ALLEN, F.R.S.
WILLIAM ALLEN, F.R.S.
Born August 29, 1770. Died December 30, 1843. William Allen, the eminent chemist, was born in London. His father was a silk manufacturer in Spitalfields, and a member of the Society of Friends. Having at an early period shown a predilection for chemical and other pursuits connected with medicine, William was placed in the establishment of Mr. Joseph Gurney Bevan in Plough Court, Lombard Street, where he acquired a practical knowledge of chemistry. He eventually succeeded to the business, which
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FRANCIS BAILY, F.R.S. &c.
FRANCIS BAILY, F.R.S. &c.
Born April 28, 1774. Died August 30, 1844. This eminent English astronomer was born at Newbury in Berkshire, and received his education at the school of the Rev. Mr. Best of that town, where he early showed a propensity to physical inquiry, obtaining among his schoolmates the nickname of 'the Philosopher of Newbury.' Francis Baily quitted this school, when fourteen years old, for a house of business in the city of London, and remained there until his twenty-second year, when, desirous of the e
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SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART., C.B., P.R.S.
SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART., C.B., P.R.S.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, ETC. Born February 12, 1743. Died June 19, 1820. Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society for upwards of forty years, was born in Argyle Street, London. He was the eldest son of Mr. W. Banks, a gentleman of considerable landed property, whose family was originally of Swedish extraction, although it had been settled in England for several generations. The early life of Joseph Banks was passed principally at Revesby Hall, his father's seat in Lincolnshi
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BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BENTHAM.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BENTHAM.
Born January 11, 1757. Died May 31, 1831. Sir Samuel Bentham was the youngest son of Jeremiah Bentham, and brother of Jeremy, the celebrated jurist. He was placed when very young at a private school, from whence, at the age of six, he was sent to Westminster. His father occupied a house in Queen's Square Place, in the stable-yard of which were spacious workshops, let to a carpenter; here Samuel used to spend all his leisure time, and soon acquired considerable skill in handling tools, for when
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MATTHEW BOULTON, F.R.S. L. and E. &c.
MATTHEW BOULTON, F.R.S. L. and E. &c.
Born at Birmingham, Sept. 3, 1728. Died Aug. 17, 1809. This skilful, energetic, and farseeing man, who, by his extended views and liberal spirit of enterprise, contributed so greatly towards the successful introduction of Watt's condensing steam-engine, commenced life at Birmingham as a maker of buttons and shoe-buckles. Matthew Boulton received an ordinary education at a school at Deritend. He was, however, gifted with rare endowments, and of these he made the best use; with a thorough knowle
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JOSEPH BRAMAH.
JOSEPH BRAMAH.
Born April 13, 1749. Died December 9, 1814. This eminent practical engineer and machinist was born at Stainborough, in Yorkshire. His father rented a farm on the estate of Lord Strafford, and Joseph, being the eldest of five children was intended for the same employment; but fortunately for his subsequent career, an accidental lameness, which occurred when he was sixteen years old, prevented his following agricultural pursuits. When quite a boy, Bramah exhibited unusual mechanical talent; he s
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ROBERT BROWN, D.C.L., F.R.S., P.L.S., &c.
ROBERT BROWN, D.C.L., F.R.S., P.L.S., &c.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. Born December 21, 1773. Died June 10, 1859. Robert Brown, whom Humboldt has designated as the "Prince of Botanists," was the second and only surviving son of the Rev. James Brown, Episcopalian Minister, of Montrose. Several generations of his maternal ancestors were, like his father, ministers of the Scottish Episcopalian Church, and from them he appears to have inherited a strong attachment to logical and metaphysical studies, the effects of which are so str
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SIR M. ISAMBARD BRUNEL, V.P.R.S., &c.
SIR M. ISAMBARD BRUNEL, V.P.R.S., &c.
Born April 25, 1769. Died December 12, 1849. This celebrated engineer was born at Haqueville, in Normandy, where his family had for several centuries held an honourable position, numbering among its members the eminent French painter Nicholas Poussin. Brunel was educated at the seminary at Rouen, with the intention of his entering holy orders, but he displayed so decided a taste for mathematics and mechanics, [6] that by the advice of the superior of the establishment he was removed to follow
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EDMUND CARTWRIGHT, D.D., F.R.S., &c.
EDMUND CARTWRIGHT, D.D., F.R.S., &c.
Born April 24, 1743. Died October 30, 1823. Dr. Cartwright, whose invention of the power-loom may be considered as one of the valuable elements of our national manufacturing superiority, was born at Marnham in Nottinghamshire, and was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom were remarkable men. [9] He was educated under Dr. Clarke, at the Grammar School of Wakefield, and had he been permitted to follow the bent of his own inclination in the choice of a profession, would have preferred the
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THE HON. HENRY CAVENDISH, F.R.S.
THE HON. HENRY CAVENDISH, F.R.S.
Born October 10, 1731. Died February 24, 1810. Henry Cavendish, the third in order of time among the four great English pneumatic chemists of the eighteenth century, [12] was the younger son of Lord Charles Cavendish, whose father was the second Duke of Devonshire. His family trace back their descent in unbroken and unquestionable links to Sir John Cavendish, Lord Chief Justice during the reign of Edward III. The great majority of the distinguished chemists of Great Britain have sprung from th
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WILLIAM CHAPMAN, M.R.I.A.
WILLIAM CHAPMAN, M.R.I.A.
Born 1749. Died May 29, 1832. William Chapman, Civil Engineer, was born at Whitby, in Yorkshire, of a respectable and wealthy family, who had resided in that town for several generations. He inherited the freedom of Newcastle-upon-Tyne from his father, who, in common with all the chief people of Whitby, was engaged in shipping, and was besides particularly distinguished for his attainments in mathematics and other scien tific pursuits. William Chapman derived great advantage from his father's
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SIR WILLIAM CONGREVE, BART., F.R.S.
SIR WILLIAM CONGREVE, BART., F.R.S.
Born in Middlesex, May 20, 1772. Died May 3, 1828. Sir William Congreve was the son of the first baronet, an Artillery officer of the same name. He entered early into the branch of military service his father had pursued, and, in 1816, attained in it the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was also at this time equerry to the Prince Regent, which office he retained on the occasion of his quitting the military service in 1820. Congreve very early distinguished himself by his inventions in the constr
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SAMUEL CROMPTON.
SAMUEL CROMPTON.
Born December 3, 1753. Died June 26, 1827. Few men, perhaps, have ever conferred so great a benefit on their country and reaped so little profit for themselves as Samuel Crompton, inventor of the Spinning Mule. He was born at Firwood, in the township of Tonge near Bolton, where his parents occupied a farm, and spent their leisure hours according to the custom of the period—in the operations of carding, spinning, and weaving. Soon after the birth of Samuel, the Cromptons removed to a cottage ne
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JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., L. and E.
JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., L. and E.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. Born September 5, 1766. Died July 27, 1844. John Dalton was born at Eaglesfield, a small village in Cumberland, near Cockermouth. His father, Joseph Dalton, was a woollen-weaver, and at the birth of his second son, John, gained but a scanty subsistence by weaving common country goods. At the death of his elder brother, however, he inherited a small estate of sixty acres, which enabled him to give up weaving. John Dalton had consequently few opportunities of o
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SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, BART., LL.D., P.R.S., &c.,
SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, BART., LL.D., P.R.S., &c.,
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, ETC. Born December 17, 1778. Died May 30, 1829. This eminent philosopher was born at Penzance, in Cornwall. As a child he was remarkably healthy and strong, displaying at the same time great mental capacity. The first school he ever attended was that of Mr. Bushell, at which reading and writing only were taught. In these rudimentary branches of education he soon made such progress, that he was removed, by the master's advice, to the grammar school kept by the
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PETER DOLLOND.
PETER DOLLOND.
Born February 2, 1731. Died July 2, 1820. Peter Dollond, the subject of the present memoir, was the eldest son of John Dollond, the celebrated inventor of the Achromatic Refracting Telescope, who, during the greater portion of his life, was engaged in the business of a silk-manufacturer, in Stuart Street, Spitalfields. Here Peter Dollond was born and spent the early portion of his life. On reaching manhood he engaged in the same occupation as his father, and for several years they carried on t
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BRYAN DONKIN, F.R.S., &c.
BRYAN DONKIN, F.R.S., &c.
Born March 22, 1768. Died February 27, 1855. Bryan Donkin was born at Sandoe, in Northumberland. His father, who followed the business of a surveyor and land agent, was acquainted with John Smeaton, the eminent engineer, from having had occasion to consult him frequently on questions relating to the bridges and other works on the Tyne. Donkin early showed a taste for science and mechanics, and when almost a child was to be found continually occupied in making various ingenious mechanical contr
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WILLIAM JAMES FRODSHAM, F.R.S.
WILLIAM JAMES FRODSHAM, F.R.S.
Born July 25, 1778. Died June 29, 1850. William J. Frodsham was born in London, and brought up under the care of his grandfather, a great admirer of John Harrison, the inventor of the timekeeper for ascertaining the longitude at sea. From thus spending his early life with his grandfather, young Frodsham acquired a strong desire to engage in the business of chronometer making, he was consequently apprenticed to a man eminent in that art. Shortly after completing his apprenticeship Mr. Frodsham,
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DAVIES GIDDY GILBERT, D.C.L., P.R.S.
DAVIES GIDDY GILBERT, D.C.L., P.R.S.
Born March 6, 1767. Died December 24, 1839. Davies Giddy Gilbert was born at Tredrea, in the parish of St. Erth, in the west of Cornwall. His paternal name was Giddy, his father being the Rev. Edward Giddy of St. Erth. His mother, an heiress of very considerable property, was Catherine Davies, allied to the noble family of Sandys, and a descendant of William Noye, attorney general in the reign of Charles the First. Young Giddy, not being of very robust health, was reared with great care, and h
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CHARLES HATCHETT, F.R.S.
CHARLES HATCHETT, F.R.S.
Born January 2, 1765. Died March 10, 1847. Charles Hatchett was born at a house in Long Acre, where his father carried on the business of a coachmaker. He was sent to a school known by the name of Fountayne's, situated in what was formerly called Marylebone Park. On leaving school, Mr. Hatchett continued to live for some time with his father, purposing to follow the same business; he, however, never took kindly to it, but spent the chief part of his time in perusing books of science, or in att
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WILLIAM HENRY, M.D., F.R.S., &c.
WILLIAM HENRY, M.D., F.R.S., &c.
Born December 12, 1774. Died September 2, 1836. Dr. William Henry, the distinguished chemical philosopher, was born at Manchester. His father, Mr. Thomas Henry, was a zealous cultivator of chemical science. The earliest impressions of Henry's childhood were, therefore, such as to inspire interest and reverence for the pursuits of science; and he is said, when very young, to have sought amusement in attempting to imitate, with such means as were at his disposal, the chemical experiments which h
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SIR WILLIAM HERSCHEL, D.C.L., F.R.S., &c.
SIR WILLIAM HERSCHEL, D.C.L., F.R.S., &c.
Born November 15, 1738. Died August 23, 1822. Authentic particulars respecting both the early and private life of this great astronomer are sadly deficient; his scientific works are, however, of a world-wide reputation, and it is with these that we are chiefly concerned. William Herschel was born at Hanover, and was one of a numerous family, who supported themselves chiefly by their musical talents. At the age of fourteen William was placed, it is said, in the band of the Hanoverian regiment o
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EDWARD CHARLES HOWARD, F.R.S.
EDWARD CHARLES HOWARD, F.R.S.
Born May 28, 1774. Died September 28, 1816. Mr. Howard was born at Darnell, in the parish of Sheffield, and was the third brother of the twelfth Duke of Norfolk. His name has become intimately connected with the manufacture of sugar, from the many improvements which he introduced into the old processes for the refinement of this most important article of commerce, and especially by his invention of the vacuum-pan. It is related, on the authority of the late Mr. C. Few, that Mr. Howard's attent
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CAPTAIN J. HUDDART, F.R.S.
CAPTAIN J. HUDDART, F.R.S.
Born Jan. 11, 1740. Died August 19, 1816. Joseph Huddart was born at Allonby in Cumberland. His Father, who was a shoemaker and farmer, desiring to give his son the best education in his power, sent him to a day-school kept by Mr. Wilson, the clergyman of the village. Here young Huddart acquired a knowledge of the elements of mathematics, including astronomy, sciences in which he attained great proficiency in after life. When quite a boy, Huddart gave indications of an original mind, combined
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EDWARD JENNER, M.D., L.L.D., F.R.S., &c.
EDWARD JENNER, M.D., L.L.D., F.R.S., &c.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. Born May 17, 1749. Died January 26, 1823. Edward Jenner, who by his discovery of vaccination has pre-eminently acquired a right to the title of the "Benefactor of Mankind," was born at the vicarage house of Berkeley, in Gloucestershire, and was the third son of the Rev. Stephen Jenner, rector of Rockhampton, and vicar of Berkeley. Jenner's father died when he was only five years old, leaving him to be brought up under the care of his uncle. At eight years of
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WILLIAM JESSOP.
WILLIAM JESSOP.
Born 1745. Died 1814. This engineer forms the connecting link between the first and second generations of civil engineers in this country. To the former belong Smeaton and Brindley, while the latter are headed by the great names of Telford and Rennie. The father of Mr. Jessop was engaged under Smeaton in superintending the erection of the Eddystone Lighthouse, and his son William, the subject of this memoir, was born at Plymouth. When he had attained the age of sixteen his father died, leaving
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CAPTAIN HENRY KATER, F.R.S., &c.
CAPTAIN HENRY KATER, F.R.S., &c.
Born April 16, 1777. Died April 26, 1835. Captain Henry Kater, distinguished by his mathematical and physical researches during the space of nearly half a century, was born at Bristol; his father was of a German family, and his mother was the daughter of an eminent architect; both were distinguished for their scientific attainments, and united in imbuing their son with a similar taste. Henry was, however, destined by his father for the law, and had with great reluctance to give up for a time h
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SIR JOHN LESLIE, F.R.S.E., &c.
SIR JOHN LESLIE, F.R.S.E., &c.
Born April 16, 1766. Died November 3, 1832. Sir John Leslie, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, the son of a poor joiner or cabinetmaker, was born at the village of Largo, in the county of Fife. Although both weak and sickly as a child, he soon acquired considerable knowledge of mathematical and physical science, and at the age of eleven attracted the notice of Mr. Oliphant, the minister of the parish, by his precocious attainments. This gentleman kindly lent young
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NEVIL MASKELYNE, D.D., F.R.S.
NEVIL MASKELYNE, D.D., F.R.S.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, ETC. Born October 6, 1732. Died February 9, 1811. This most accurate and industrious astronomer was born in London, and was the son of Mr. Edmund Maskelyne, a gentleman of respectable family in Wiltshire. At the age of nine Maskelyne was sent to Westminster school, where he early began to distinguish himself, and to display a decided taste for the study of optics and astronomy. The great solar eclipse, which occurred in 1748 was, however, the immediate cause
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HENRY MAUDSLAY.
HENRY MAUDSLAY.
Born Aug. 22, 1771. Died Feb. 14, 1831. This distinguished mechanical engineer was descended from an eminent Lancashire family, who trace back their origin as far as the year 1200. His father in early life enlisted in the Royal Artillery at Norwich, and afterwards became store-keeper at the Royal Dockyard of Woolwich, where his son Henry was born and spent his boyhood, acquiring in the dockyard the first rudiments of that mechanical knowledge which has since made him so justly celebrated. Afte
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PATRICK MILLER.
PATRICK MILLER.
Born in Scotland 1730. Died at Dalswinton House, near Dumfries, 1815. Patrick Miller, of Dalswinton, was originally a banker, and ultimately became possessed of considerable independent property. At different periods of his life he embarked in many schemes of great public utility. He made considerable improvements in artillery and naval architecture, and during the course of his various experiments expended upwards of thirty thousand pounds. One of the immediate results of his experiments in the
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WILLIAM MURDOCK.
WILLIAM MURDOCK.
Born 1754. Died November 15, 1839. William Murdock was born at Bellow Mill, near Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, where his father carried on the business of a millwright and miller, and likewise possessed a farm on the estate of the Boswell family of Auchinleck. His mother's maiden name was Bruce, and she used to boast of being lineally descended from Robert Bruce, of Scottish History. Little is known of Murdock's life prior to his coming to England, and joining, in the year 1777, Boulton and Watt's es
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ROBERT MYLNE.
ROBERT MYLNE.
Born January 4, 1733. Died May 5, 1811. Robert Mylne, the architect of Blackfriars Bridge, was born at Edinburgh. His father was an architect, and magistrate of the city; and his family, it has been ascertained, held the office of Master Masons to the Kings of Scotland for a period of five hundred years, until the union of the crowns of England and Scotland. On arriving at man's estate, Mylne travelled for improvement; and his enthusiastic prosecution of his art soon brought him into notice. I
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ALEXANDER NASMYTH.
ALEXANDER NASMYTH.
Born September 7, 1758. Died April 10, 1840. Alexander Nasmyth, the distinguished Scotch landscape painter, and known also as a man of science, was born at Edinburgh. He came early in life to London, where he was for some time the pupil of Allen Ramsay, painter to George III. He resided afterwards in Rome for several years, during which time he studied portrait, history, and landscape painting. From Rome, Nasmyth returned to Edinburgh, where he settled as a portrait painter, and executed his w
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JOHN PLAYFAIR, F.R.S., L. and E.
JOHN PLAYFAIR, F.R.S., L. and E.
PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. Born March 10, 1748. Died July 19, 1819. John Playfair, a mathematician and philosopher of great eminence and celebrity, was born at Benvie in Forfarshire, and was the eldest son of the Rev. James Playfair, the minister of that place. Playfair resided at home, under the domestic tuition of his father, until the age of fourteen, when he entered the University of St. Andrew's, where he became almost immediately distinguished, not merely fo
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JOHN RENNIE, F.R.S., L. and E., &c.
JOHN RENNIE, F.R.S., L. and E., &c.
Born June 7, 1761. Died October 4, 1821. John Rennie was born at Phantassie, in the parish of Prestonkirk, in the county of East Lothian. His father was a highly respectable farmer, who died in 1766, leaving a widow and nine children, of whom John was the youngest. He acquired the first rudiments of his education at the village school, which was situated on the opposite side of a brook. To cross this at certain seasons of the year it was necessary to make use of a boat, which was kept at the w
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FRANCIS RONALDS, F.R.S.
FRANCIS RONALDS, F.R.S.
Francis Ronalds was born in London, in the year 1788. From a very early period in life he devoted himself to the advancement of electrical science, a course he has consistently pursued during a large portion of his life, which has not yet we are glad to be able to state drawn to its close. He is the inventor of an electric telegraph, electrical machine, electrometer, a new mode of electrical insulation, a pendulum doubler, an electric clock, several meteorological and magnetical instruments and
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COUNT RUMFORD (SIR BENJAMIN THOMPSON), LL.D., V.P.R.S.,
COUNT RUMFORD (SIR BENJAMIN THOMPSON), LL.D., V.P.R.S.,
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, ETC. Born March 26, 1753. Died Aug. 21, 1814. Benjamin Thompson, the founder of the Royal Institution, and more generally known by the title of Count Rumford, which he afterwards acquired, was born at Woburn in Massachussets. His ancestors appear to have been among the earliest colonists of this district, and in all probability came originally from England. Thompson's father died while his son was a mere infant, and two or three years afterwards his mot
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DANIEL RUTHERFORD, M.D.
DANIEL RUTHERFORD, M.D.
Born November 3, 1749. Died November 15, 1819. Daniel Rutherford was born at Edinburgh and educated at the University of his native city. He took his degree of M.D. in 1772, and in the Thesis which he published upon this occasion, entitled 'De Aëre Fixo,' he pointed out for the first time a new gaseous substance, since distinguished by the name of Azote or Nitrogen. On the 6th of May, 1777, he was admitted a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and in a paper on Nitre, read before the Ph
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WILLIAM SMITH, LL.D.
WILLIAM SMITH, LL.D.
Born March 23, 1769. Died August 28, 1839. William Smith, the 'Father of English Geology,' was born at Churchill, a village in Oxfordshire. His father died when he was eight years old, and his mother marrying again, William was brought up under the care of his uncle, to part of whose property he was heir. From this kinsman, who had little sympathy with his nephew's early displayed taste for collecting specimens of the various stones in the neighbourhood, young Smith with difficulty obtained mo
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EARL STANHOPE, F.R.S.
EARL STANHOPE, F.R.S.
Born August 3, 1753. Died December 17, 1816. Charles Stanhope, third earl of that name, was born at Chevening in Kent, and was sent at a very early period to Eton; but at the age of ten he removed with his family to Geneva, where he was placed under the tuition of M. Le Sage, a well-known man of letters in that place. There can be but little doubt that the whole political career of Earl Stanhope was deeply influenced by the circumstance of his receiving his early education in this republican c
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WILLIAM SYMINGTON.[33]
WILLIAM SYMINGTON.[33]
Born in 1763. Died March 22, 1831. William Symington, claimant conjointly with Patrick Miller to the honour of originating the present system of steam navigation, was a native of Leadhills, in the county of Lanark, Scotland. He was originally destined for the church, but an early predilection for mechanical philosophy led him to abandon his theological studies, and pursue with ardour those connected with his favourite science. His genius soon attracted the notice, and secured the patronage of
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THOMAS TELFORD, F.R.S., L. and E., &c.
THOMAS TELFORD, F.R.S., L. and E., &c.
Born August 9, 1757. Died September 2, 1834. The life of Thomas Telford adds another striking instance to those on record of men who, from the force of natural talent, unaided save by uprightness and persevering industry, have raised themselves from the low estate in which they were born, and taken their stand among the master-spirits of their age. Telford was born in the parish of Westerkirk, in the pastoral district of Eskdale in Dumfriesshire. His father, who followed the occupation of a sh
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CHARLES TENNANT.
CHARLES TENNANT.
Born May 3, 1768. Died October 1, 1838. Charles Tennant, the founder of the celebrated chemical works at St. Rollox, Glasgow, was born at Ochiltree, Ayrshire. His father, John Tennant, was factor or steward to the Countess of Glencairn, and also rented a farm on her estate, in the culture of which he displayed great practical and scientific ability. John Tennant married twice; after the death of his first wife, by whom he had two sons and one daughter, he married, in the year 1757, Margaret Mc
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THOMAS THOMSON, M.D., F.R.S.
THOMAS THOMSON, M.D., F.R.S.
Born April 12, 1773. Died July 2, 1852. Dr. Thomas Thomson, Regius Professor of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, who exercised a remarkable influence in the development and extension of the science of chemistry during the present age, was born at Crieff, in Perthshire. He received his early education at the parish school of that place, and after remaining for a time under the care of Dr. Doig, of Stirling, went to the University of St. Andrews, where he remained for a period of three ye
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RICHARD TREVITHICK.
RICHARD TREVITHICK.
Born April 13, 1771. Died April 22, 1833. Richard Trevithick, inventor of the first high pressure steam-engine, and the first steam-carriage used in England, was born in the parish of Illogan, in Cornwall. He was the son of a purser of the mines in the district, and although he received but little early education, his talents were great in his own special subject, mechanics. When a boy he had no taste for school exercises, and being an only son, was allowed by his parents to do much as he plea
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EDWARD TROUGHTON, F.R.A.S.
EDWARD TROUGHTON, F.R.A.S.
Born October, 1753. Died June 12, 1835. Edward Troughton, the first astronomical instrument maker of our day, was born in the parish of Corney, on the south-west coast of Cumberland, and was the third son of a small farmer. An uncle of the same name, and his eldest brother John were settled in London as mathematical instrument makers; and as his second brother was apprenticed to the same business, Edward was designed to be a farmer, continuing to be his father's assistant till the age of seven
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RICHARD WATSON, BISHOP OF LLANDAFF, D.D., F.R.S., &c.
RICHARD WATSON, BISHOP OF LLANDAFF, D.D., F.R.S., &c.
Born August, 1737. Died June 4, 1816. Richard Watson, celebrated both as an able theologian, and as a professor of chemistry, was born at Haversham, near Kendal in Westmoreland. His ancestors had been farmers of their own estates for several generations, and his father, a younger son, was for forty years the head master of the Grammar-school at Haversham, but had resigned his duties about the period of the birth of his son Richard. Young Watson received his education at this school, and about
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JAMES WATT, LL.D., F.R.S. L. and E., &c.
JAMES WATT, LL.D., F.R.S. L. and E., &c.
MEMBER OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE. Born at Greenock on the Clyde, 1736. Died August 25, 1819. To James Watt, philosopher, mechanician, and civil engineer, whose genius perfected the control of one of the greatest revealed powers yet given to man, may well be applied the saying of Wellington, "That which makes a great general makes a great artist, the power and the determination to overcome difficulties." Born with a sickly temperament, and prevented thereby from attending school, or indulging in
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WILLIAM H. WOLLASTON, M.D., P.R.S. &c.
WILLIAM H. WOLLASTON, M.D., P.R.S. &c.
Born August 6, 1766. Died December 22, 1828. William Hyde Wollaston was born at East Dereham, a village sixteen miles from Norwich. His father was an astronomer of some eminence, who in the year 1800 published an extensive catalogue of the northern circumpolar stars. After a preparatory education, Wollaston entered at Caius College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of M.B. in 1787, and that of M.D. in 1793; soon afterwards he became a Tancred Fellow. During his residence at Cambridge, he de
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THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S., &c.
THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S., &c.
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. Born June 13, 1773. Died May 10, 1829. Dr. Thomas Young, celebrated for his universal attainments, was born at Milverton, in Somersetshire. He was the eldest of ten children of Thomas and Sarah Young; his mother was a niece of Dr. Richard Brocklesby, a physician of considerable eminence in London. Both of his parents were members of the Society of Friends, and to the tenets of that sect, which recognizes the immediate influence of a Supreme Intelligence as a
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JOSEPH BLACK, M.D.
JOSEPH BLACK, M.D.
PROFESSOR OF THE UNIVERSITIES OF EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW. Born 1728. [50] Died November 26, 1799. Dr. Joseph Black was born at Bourdeaux, where his father, a native of Belfast but of Scotch descent, was settled as a wine merchant; and being a man of engaging disposition and extensive information was much esteemed by his friends, among whom he reckoned Montesquieu, at that time one of the presidents of the court of justice in the province where Mr. Black resided. At the age of twelve Joseph Black
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HENRY CORT.
HENRY CORT.
Born 1740. Died 1800. The sad history of this great inventor, who has been well surnamed "The Father of the iron trade," is comparatively soon told. Although his discoveries in the manufacture of iron were so important as to have been one of the chief causes in the establishment of our modern engineering, little is known of the life of the unfortunate inventor. He was born in 1740 at Lancaster, where his father carried on the trade of a builder and brickmaker. In 1765, at the age of twenty-fiv
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JAMES IVORY, F.R.S., &c.
JAMES IVORY, F.R.S., &c.
Born 1765. Died September 21, 1842. This distinguished mathematician was born at Dundee and received the elements of his education in the public schools of that town. His father was a watchmaker and intended that his son should become a clergyman of the church of Scotland, for which purpose he sent him, when fourteen years old, to the University of St. Andrews. Here Ivory remained for six years, and had for his fellow student, Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Leslie, with whom, at the end of the abov
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JOSEPH PRIESTLY, LL.D.
JOSEPH PRIESTLY, LL.D.
Born March 24, 1773. Died February 26, 1804. Joseph Priestly was the son of a cloth-dresser at Burstal-Fieldhead, near Leeds. His family appear to have been in humble circumstances, and he was taken off their hands after the death of his mother by his paternal aunt, who sent him to a free school at Batley. There he learnt something of Greek, Latin, and a little Hebrew. To this he added some knowledge of other Eastern languages connected with Biblical literature; he made a considerable progress
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