Subject
Scientists -- Great Britain -- Biography Books
Best books
William Walker
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" is a historical account compiled by William Walker, Junior, likely written in the 19th century. This work aims to document the lives and contributions of notable scientists during a pivotal period in British science. The book features brief biographies of key figures such as Sir Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, and James Watt, who played significant roles in the advancement of various scientific fields. The opening portion of the memoir begins with a preface that highlights the profound impact of scientific thought on society and how the efforts of distinguished men in science have shaped human knowledge and progress. It sets the tone for celebrating these contributors to Britain’s scientific legacy, emphasizing their inventions and discoveries. The text outlines the structure of the memoir, which includes an introduction and a list of prominent scientists whose lives and achievements are chronicled, detailing their birthdays, deaths, and principal contributions to science, thus providing a glimpse into the era’s intellectual vibrancy.
Henry Mayhew
The wonders of science : $b Or, young Humphry Davy (the Cornish apothecary's boy, who taught himself natural philosophy, and eventually became President of the Royal Society)
"The wonders of science : Or, young Humphry Davy (the Cornish apothecary''s boy,…." by Henry Mayhew is a juvenile biography written in the mid-19th century. It traces the early life, character, and self-education of Humphry Davy, presenting his path from poor Cornish boy to aspiring man of science as an example for young readers, blending moral purpose with lively popular science. The opening of this work dedicates the story to Michael Faraday and quotes Faraday’s own account of how Davy first encouraged him, then explains the author’s aim: to inspire boys through a largely faithful, readable life of Davy while avoiding outdated science. The narrative begins with Davy’s father’s debts, Mr. Tonkin’s stern stewardship, and a vivid Penzance scene that contrasts local hardship with rising fashions; it then follows Humphry to the Land’s End, where, in grief, he vows to reform and support his widowed mother and siblings. At home he renews that promise, while his mother recalls his precocity; soon she opens a millinery business, Tonkin urges a practical path, and a sunset walk to St. Michael’s Mount becomes a gentle lesson in natural history, physiology, and humane feeling that awakens Humphry’s intellectual hunger. Apprenticed to a local surgeon-apothecary, he resolves to be useful, and a report of a catastrophic coal-mine explosion—highlighting that firedamp ignites by flame but not by sparks—plants an early seed of the ideas that will shape his future.
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