T. E. James

“ Educated at private schools at Leatherhead and Rottingdean, he subsequently entered the firm of Anthony Gibbs & Sons, South American merchants and bankers in the City of London, and in 1855, when twenty years old, left England to take up a post at Callao, in Peru. His love of natural history and archaeology and liking for adventurous travel led him, however, to relinquish business pursuits. Leaving Peru in 1860, he crossed the Andes and explored the headwaters of the Amazon river, descending thence to Para. The perilous journey provided novel and rich material for scientific study. ”

“ Cornelius, after attending a private school in Bandon known as 'Denny Holland's' and the Cavendish school there, went to evening science classes in the town held under the auspices of the Science and Art Department, winning in September 1862 a scholarship at the Royal School of Mines, London. ”

“ As the outcome of a research on the effects of admixture of impurities on the mechanical properties of pure metals, the alloys-research committee of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers was established (1889) , Roberts-Austen becoming 'reporter' to the committee and supplying five reports, a sixth being under revision at his death. ”

“ Williamson was for some years examiner in chemistry in the University of London, and from 1874 a member of the senate. He took a prominent part in the introduction there of degrees of science, and was deeply interested in the formation of a teaching university for London. ”

“ Retiring from practice in Bristol (1891) , he settled at Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.
Beddoe began active researches in ethnology during his early wanderings in Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, and other countries, and ultimately he became an authority on the physical characteristics of living European races. Much of his work was pioneer, and was carried on when researches of the kind were little valued. But Beddoe's unflagging industry and stimulating zeal influenced profoundly the development of anthropological science at home and abroad. ”

“ In the first (1891) he described his automatic recording pyrometer, 'by means of which the temperature of furnaces or masses of metal, and the exact time at which each change in temperature occurs, are recorded in the form of a curve on a moving photographic plate.' The work of alloys-research he thus initiated is now carried on at the National Physical Laboratory. The practical value of these labours led the council of the institution to enroll him an honorary life member (Animal Report Inst. Mechan. Eng. 1898, pp. 5, 30) . ”

“ Subsequently he entered Trinity College, Dublin, graduating in 1864, but he was non-resident. He was early imbued with his father's spirit of inquiry. At his father's observatory at Birr he assisted in the workshops and met leading men of science. Succeeding in 1867 to the peerage on his father's death, Lord Rosse thenceforward divided his interests between the management of his estates and the pursuit of astro-physics. He was made sheriff of King's Co., Ireland, in 1867, and became a representative peer of Ireland in 1868. ”

“ THOMSON, JOCELYN HOME (1859–1908) , chief inspector of explosives, born at Oxford on 31 Aug. 1859, was the second of four sons of William Thomson, provost of Queen's College, Oxford, afterwards archbishop of York [q. v.] . Educated at Eton and the Royal Academy, Woolwich, Thomson entered the royal artillery in 1878, and engaged the following year in the Zulu war. Subsequently he was transferred to India, and thence he proceeded to Egypt, where he served in the royal horse artillery. ”

“ From Berlin, where Heinrich Rose and Heinrich Gustav Magnus were among his teachers, he proceeded to Giessen University, where he worked under Liebig, and graduated Ph.D. On returning from Germany he entered his father's calico-printing works in Rochdale, but after a few years relinquished business with a view to original research in chemistry, particularly in regard to the colouring matters of vegetable substances. ”

“ The demonstrations were witnessed by Wheatstone and other prominent men of science. On 6 Feb. 1850, Petrie (with Staite) read a paper before the Society of Arts on 'Improvements in the Electric Light.' Petrie and Staite's long and courageous efforts to promote electric illumination were financially disastrous, and their pioneering services escaped the recognition of those who perfected the applications of the illuminant, Subsequently Petrie turned his attention to electro-chemistry, and superintended large chemical works ”

“ Schunck carried on his investigations in a private laboratory which he had built near his residence at Kersal, and housed there a fine library and large collections. He was deeply interested in travel, literature and art, and in works of philanthropy connected with his native city. He died at his home, Oaklands, Kersal, Manchester, on 13 Jan. ”

“ His elder brother, George Sharp Saunders, F.L.S. (d. 1910) , also an entomologist, was editor of the 'Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society' from 1906 to 1908. The youngest sister married the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, F.R.S. Saunders, who was educated entirely at home, was the author (from 1867) of many papers on entomology, relating chiefly to the Buprestidae, Hemiptera Heteroptera, and Aculeata Hymenoptera. These he contributed to the 'Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,' the 'Transactions of the Entomological Society,' the 'Journal of the Linnean Society,' and other serials. ”

“ Migrating to London, Wanklyn was from 1863 to 1870 professor of chemistry at the London Institution, and from 1877 to 1880 lecturer in chemistry and physics at St. George's Hospital. At various periods he was public analyst for the boroughs of Buckingham, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, and High Wycombe. The latter part of his life was passed at New Malden, Surrey, where he had a laboratory and practised as an analytical and consulting chemist. He died unmarried at 6 Derby villas, New Malden, on 19 July 1906 from heart failure, and was buried at New Malden cemetery. ”

“ Ransom was president of the section of medicine, his address dealing with various aspects of vegetable pathology.
In 1870 Ransom devised a disinfecting stove (gas-heated) for the sterilisation of infected clothing, which was used extensively till steam methods were adopted. A presidential address to the Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Society, 'On Colds as a Cause of Disease,' delivered on 4 Nov. 1887, attracted attention. His only independent publication, 'The Inflammation Idea in General Pathology,' appeared in 1906 (Nature, 29 Nov. 1906; Brit. Med. Journ. 23 June 1906) . ”

“ During thirty-six years he examined ‘nearly four hundred entirely new explosives of the most varied composition, and further examined, at frequent intervals, all explosives imported into England, as to safety. He had often to evolve original methods of analysis or of testing for safety, and therein especially rendered important services’ (H. Wilson Hake) . ”

“ Williamson, who wrote articles for Watts's ‘Dictionary of Chemistry’ (1863–6) , was author of a text-book, ‘Chemistry for Students’ (1865; 3rd edit. 1873) . Conjointly with T. H. Key he published the pamphlet ‘Invasion invited by the Defenceless State of England’ (1858) . On 11 Nov. 1898 Williamson was one of six guests at a banquet given in London by the Chemical Society to those of its past presidents who had been fellows for half a century (see Proc. Chem. Soc. no. 199, speech by Williamson) . ”

“ Lord Blythswood, who enjoyed the intimate friendship of Lord Kelvin and other notable men of science, rendered important services to astronomical and physical science. He maintained at Blythswood House a splendidly equipped laboratory, the resources of which he placed freely at the disposal of scientific friends. ”

“ He was author of nine papers of value on embryological subjects, of which the first, 'On the Impregnation of the Ovum in the Stickleback,' appeared in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' (vol. vii. 1854—5) . Another, ’On the Ovum of Osseous Fishes,' was published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' for 1867. ”

“ He thus paved the way for the researches of Graebe and Liebermann, who synthesised alizarin. Subsequently Sir William Henry Perkin [q. v. Suppl. II] by further investigation made alizarin a commercial product (see Schunck's later communications in Manchester Lit. and Phil. Soc. Memoirs, 1871, 1873, and 1876) . Hermann Roemer collaborated with him from 1875, and with his help Schunck published a series of eighteen papers in the 'Berichte' of the German Chemical Society and elsewhere on the chemistry of colouring matters (1875-80) . ”

“ From an early age he was an earnest student of astronomy, and when twenty-three years of age he was nominated by the Royal Society an observer of the transit of Venus in the island of Barbados, receiving commendation for his accurate and painstaking work. ”

“ WATSON, HENRY WILLIAM (1827–1903) , mathematician, born at Marylebone on 25 Feb. 1827, was son of Thomas Watson, R.N., by his wife Eleanor Mary Kingston. Educated at King's College, London, he won the first mathematical scholarship instituted there, proceeding in 1846 to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was scholar. He graduated as second wrangler and Smith's prizeman in 1850, Dr. W. H. Besant being senior wrangler. He became fellow in 1851, and from 1851 to 1853 was assistant tutor. ”

“ Lord Rosse was elected chancellor of Dublin University in 1885, succeeding Earl Cairns, and held office till his death. In 1903, in association with the provost and members of the university, he issued an appeal for funds (subscribing liberally himself) to secure the erection and equipment of science laboratories in Trinity College ”

“ After private education he obtained his first scientific employment as a consulting and analytical chemist (1852–3) in Oxford Court, Cannon Street, London, E.C. He then spent three years as assistant to Prof. Thomas Anderson at Glasgow University, and left to undertake work at Edinburgh University under Lyon (afterwards Lord) Playfair. Subsequently he was successively lecturer on chemistry in the Normal College, Swansea (1857–8) ; chemist to George Miller & Co., manufacturing chemists, at Glasgow ”

“ W. A. Tilden, chief science master at Clifton College. In 1875 he was appointed science master at Taunton School, and in 1877 science master at Exeter grammar school, where he built a laboratory (see Nature, 26 July 1878) . He returned to Clifton in 1880, succeeding Dr. Tilden as science master and holding this post until his death.
While assistant to Tilden at Clifton, Shenstone collaborated with him in an investigation on the terpenes, the results appearing in the paper 'Isomeric Nitrosoterpenes' (Trans. Chem. Soc. 1877) . ”

“ His attractive personality made him socially popular; he had a keen sense of humour and was an admirable mimic. He was an intimate friend of Ruskin, whose works influenced him greatly in early life. He died at the Royal Mint on 22 Nov. 1902, and was buried at Canterbury. He married in 1876 Florence Maude, youngest daughter of Richard William Alldridge, of Old Charlton, Kent; he had no issue.
Roberts-Austen's chief independent publication was 'An Introduction to Metallurgy' (1891; 6th edit, revised, 1910) , a work indispensable to researchers in metallurgy. ”

“ On the establishment of the 'Entomological Monthly Magazine' (1864) he acted as an editor, eventually (1902) becoming proprietor, without relinquishing editorial work. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1862, and served on the council (1879–83) . McLachlan, who was unmarried, died on 23 May 1904, at his home at Lewisham, and was buried in Tower Hamlets cemetery, London. ”

“ In 1891 the University of Edinburgh conferred the honorary degree of LL.D., and he delivered there the Rhind lectures in archaeology, on 'The Anthropological History of Europe,' of which the substance appeared in the 'Scottish Review' in 1892. ”

“ His 'Catalogue of British Neuroptera' was published by the Entomological Society in 1870. Meanwhile, as a zealous collector, he had brought together an unequalled series of specimens and maintained a voluminous correspondence at home and abroad relating to the study. ”

“ Embodied firstly in a communication to the British Association (Edinburgh meeting) , 3 Aug. 1850, 'Results of a Research on Etherification,' the extended paper appeared in the 'Philosophical Magazine' for Nov. 1850 (see, in reference to priority, Chemical News, 8 July 1904) . A chief ultimate fruit of the research was Williamson's theory of the constitution of salts, from which emerged the doctrine of valency and the linkage of radicles (see obit. notice by Sir T. E. Thorpe, Proc. Roy. Soc.) . ”

“ At Cambridge University he delivered lectures to engineering students. At Sheffield Andrews was a consistent advocate of technical education directed to industrial ends; and he actively assisted in founding and developing Sheffield University. He died at his home, 'Ravencrag,' near Sheffield, on 19 June 1907. ”

“ LISTER, ARTHUR (1830–1908) , botanist, born at Upton House, Upton, Essex, on 17 April 1830, was youngest son in a family of four sons and three daughters of Joseph Jackson Lister [q. v.] . Joseph, afterwards Lord, Lister (1827–1912) was his elder brother. A member through life of the Society of Friends, Lister was educated at Hitchin. Leaving school at sixteen to engage in business, he soon joined as partner the firm of Messrs. ”

“ A subscription portrait of Williamson, painted by the Hon. John Collier, hangs in the council room of University College (see Nature, 20 Dec. 1888, speeches by Sir H. E. Roscoe and Williamson at presentation ceremony) ; another, executed in 1894–5 by Mr. W. Biscombe Gardner, was presented to the chemical department. An autotype portrait hangs in the council room of the Chemical Society in the series of past presidents. ”