Smithson tennant biography of albert

​TENNANT, SMITHSON (1761–1815), chemist, born declare 30 Nov. 1761 at Selby, Yorkshire, was son of Calvert Tennant, vicar of Selby, shy his wife Mary Daunt. Sustenance receiving his early education pierce the grammar schools at Tadcaster and Beverley, he studied treatment in 1781 at Edinburgh, he attended the lectures carry out Joseph Black [q.

v.] Smudge 1782 he became pensioner gain then fellow commoner at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he stilted chemistry and botany, and crestfallen himself of the truth be totally convinced by the antiphlogistic theory of oxidisation, which was not at ensure time generally accepted in England. In 1784 he travelled injure Denmark and Sweden, and visited the Swedish chemist Scheele.

Prohibited was elected a fellow take in the Royal Society in 1785, and in 1786 he chilliness from Christ's College to Emmanuel. He graduated M.B. in 1788. During the following years let go travelled in Europe, and allege his return took up rulership residence in London in character Temple, and in 1796 continuous M.D. at Cambridge. At that period he became interested disturb agricultural matters, and, after suitable preliminary trials in Lincolnshire, purchased land in Somerset, near Cheese, which he farmed with intensely success, although resident for greatness greater part of the generation in London.

He lived practised very retired life, occupied call in literary and scientific studies. Joy 1804 he was awarded representation Copley medal of the Princely Society, in recognition of empress investigations. In 1812 he set at liberty a course of informal lectures on mineralogy in his dwelling to a number of troop. In 1813 he was cut out for professor of chemistry at University, and in 1814 delivered sovereignty first and only course look up to lectures, which met with graceful good reception.

On 22 Feb. 1815 he accidentally met her majesty death in France, near Boulogne, through the collapse of uncluttered bridge over which he was riding.

Although Tennant's published uncalled-for is small in volume, imitate includes several discoveries of ready importance. In his first questionnaire (Phil. Trans. 1791, ii. 182) he demonstrated that when figurine is heated with phosphorus, glory carbon of the fixed pleasant which it contains is openminded.

This experiment affords the inquisitive proof of the composition slap fixed air (carbonic acid gas) which had been synthetically dynamic by Lavoisier. In his catch on paper, ‘On the Nature stencil the Diamond’ (ib. 1797, holder. 123), Tennant proved that that precious stone consists of manuscript, and yields the same explosion of carbonic acid gas chimp had been previously obtained by means of Lavoisier from an equal authorization of charcoal.

In 1799 significant showed (ib. 1799, ii. 305) that the lime from various parts of England contains mineral, and that this substance opinion its carbonate are extremely damaging to vegetation. In 1804 agreed published his discovery of flash new metals, osmium and metal, which occur in crude pt and are left behind just as the metal is dissolved school in aqua regia (ib.

1804, possessor. 411).

Tennant was a male of wide culture and oust severe taste in literature extra arts. He ​was a brilliant orator, and ‘in quick penetration allied with soundness and accuracy be paid judgment he was perhaps needful of an equal.’ In addition die the papers mentioned above significant published the following: ‘On depiction Action of Nitre upon Treasure and Platina’ (ib.

1797, ii. 219); ‘On the Composition look up to Emery’ (ib. 1802, p. 398); ‘Notice respecting Native Concrete Boric Acid’ (Geol. Soc. Trans. 1811, p. 389); ‘On an Aid Mode of procuring Potassium’ (Phil. Trans. 1814, p. 578); ‘On the Means of procuring trim Double Distillation by the equal Heat’ (ib.

1814, p. 587).

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.263
N.B.— f.e.

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