GB 0100 KCLCA K/PP 62 - DANIELL, John Frederic (1790-1845)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0100 KCLCA K/PP 62

Title

DANIELL, John Frederic (1790-1845)

Date(s)

  • 1821-1990 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes (0.02 cubic metres)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born 1790; educated privately; worked at sugar refining business of relative, 1808; attended lectures at medical school in Windmill Street, London, delivered by William Thomas Brande, Professor of Chemistry, Royal Institution, 1812; elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, 1814, largely due to the support of patrons including Brande, George Pearson, physician, and Samuel Lysons, antiquary and vice-president of the Royal Society, but also for having established a reputation for meteorological experiments carried out at a laboratory in his father's house, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, and at which Daniell accumulated a substantial collection of rocks and minerals, [1812-1817]; geological tour of British Isles with Brande, 1815; with Brande, launched Journal of the Royal Institution, 1816; tour of France, Germany, Switzerland, 1816; meteorological observations commence, 1819; invented hygrometer, 1820; work on the atmosphere of hothouses, [1824]; collaboration with Michael Faraday, [1824-1845]; Director of Imperial Continental Gas Company including tour of France and Germany to promote gas lighting, 1825; helped establish Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1827; resigned from Imperial Continental Gas Company to concentrate on researches, 1829; developed version of pyrometer, 1830; Professor of Chemistry, King's College London, 1831-1845; collaboration with William Hallowes Miller, Professor of Mineralogy, University of Cambridge, on spectra, [1833]; developed Daniell constant cell, 1835-1837; taught chemistry, Military School of the East India Company, Addiscombe, Surrey, 1835-1844; Copley Medal, Royal Society, 1836; member, committee of the Royal Society on behalf of the Admiralty to standardise meteorological observations throughout the British Empire, 1836; Foreign Secretary, Royal Society, 1839-1845; member, Admiralty commission on protecting ships from lightning, 1839; died 1845. Publications: With William Thomas Brande, A descriptive catalogue of the British specimens deposited in the geological collection of the Royal Institution (London, 1816); On a new hygrometer (London, 1820); Meteorological essays and observations (London, 1823); Chemistry (London, 1829-1838); On voltaic combinations (London, 1836); An introduction to the study of chemical philosophy (London, 1839); On the spontaneous evolution of sulpheretted hydrogen in the waters of the western coast of Africa (London, 1841).

Archival history

The bulk of the papers were presented by a relative, Miss Daniell, with additional material presented by Canon G W Daniell, grandson, and Samuel Hunter Christie, mathematician.
GB 0100 KCLCA K/PP 62 1821-1990 Collection (fonds) 2 boxes (0.02 cubic metres) Daniell , John Frederic , 1790-1845 , professor of chemistry

Born 1790; educated privately; worked at sugar refining business of relative, 1808; attended lectures at medical school in Windmill Street, London, delivered by William Thomas Brande, Professor of Chemistry, Royal Institution, 1812; elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, 1814, largely due to the support of patrons including Brande, George Pearson, physician, and Samuel Lysons, antiquary and vice-president of the Royal Society, but also for having established a reputation for meteorological experiments carried out at a laboratory in his father's house, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, and at which Daniell accumulated a substantial collection of rocks and minerals, [1812-1817]; geological tour of British Isles with Brande, 1815; with Brande, launched Journal of the Royal Institution, 1816; tour of France, Germany, Switzerland, 1816; meteorological observations commence, 1819; invented hygrometer, 1820; work on the atmosphere of hothouses, [1824]; collaboration with Michael Faraday, [1824-1845]; Director of Imperial Continental Gas Company including tour of France and Germany to promote gas lighting, 1825; helped establish Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1827; resigned from Imperial Continental Gas Company to concentrate on researches, 1829; developed version of pyrometer, 1830; Professor of Chemistry, King's College London, 1831-1845; collaboration with William Hallowes Miller, Professor of Mineralogy, University of Cambridge, on spectra, [1833]; developed Daniell constant cell, 1835-1837; taught chemistry, Military School of the East India Company, Addiscombe, Surrey, 1835-1844; Copley Medal, Royal Society, 1836; member, committee of the Royal Society on behalf of the Admiralty to standardise meteorological observations throughout the British Empire, 1836; Foreign Secretary, Royal Society, 1839-1845; member, Admiralty commission on protecting ships from lightning, 1839; died 1845. Publications: With William Thomas Brande, A descriptive catalogue of the British specimens deposited in the geological collection of the Royal Institution (London, 1816); On a new hygrometer (London, 1820); Meteorological essays and observations (London, 1823); Chemistry (London, 1829-1838); On voltaic combinations (London, 1836); An introduction to the study of chemical philosophy (London, 1839); On the spontaneous evolution of sulpheretted hydrogen in the waters of the western coast of Africa (London, 1841).

The bulk of the papers were presented by a relative, Miss Daniell, with additional material presented by Canon G W Daniell, grandson, and Samuel Hunter Christie, mathematician.

The collection comprises correspondence, mainly concerning meteorological readings and Daniell's religious beliefs, lecture notebooks and printed pamphlets on meteorology and the battery, certificates of membership of learned societies, and obituaries and biographies of Daniell, 1821-1990. Notably including correspondence between Daniell and friends and colleagues such as Charles Babbage, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge, Charles James Blomfield, Bishop of London, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, engineer, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, Michael Faraday, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, chemist, John Frederic William Herschel, astronomer, James Clark Ross, polar navigator, principally concerning meteorology and meteorological instruments, the chemistry of batteries, the publication of Daniell's books and articles, the management of the Royal Society, London, Daniell's religious beliefs, 1821-1857; manuscript copies of lectures delivered by Daniell including at King's College London and the Military School of the East India Company, Addiscombe, Surrey, 1831-1845; printed articles and pamphlets by Daniell or reviews of his work, including On voltaic combinations (London, 1836), reviews of Meteorological essays and observations (London, 1823), 1823-1860; membership certificates of Daniell to various learned societies including National Institute for the Promotion of Science, Washington, US, 1839-1845; obituaries and biographies of Daniell, 1845-1990.

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically, the remainder thematically and in chronological order.

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services.
English

Collection level description on-line and due to be published in hard copy. Detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the College Archives reading room, King's College London.

King's College London College Archives holds further references to Daniell in College in-correspondence (Ref: KA/IC), Council minutes (Ref: KA/C/M), photographs (Ref: K/PHOTO), College Calendars;

Royal Society, London holds letters to Sir John Lubbock, 1833-1842 (Ref: LUB); University College London holds letters to the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1828-1838 (Ref: SDUK).

David Davies, 'John Frederic Daniell', in Chemistry in Britain, October 1990.

British Library OPAC; Dictionary of national biography; David Davies, 'John Frederic Daniell', in Chemistry in Britain, October 1990; Manuscript Life. Entry compiled by Geoff Browell. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. 27 November 2000 Babbage , Charles , 1792-1871 , mathematician Biographies Blomfield , Charles James , 1786-1857 , Bishop of London Brunel , Sir , Marc Isambard , 1769-1849 , Knight , engineer Chemistry education Coleridge , Samuel Taylor , 1772-1834 , poet Daniell , John Frederic , 1790-1845 , chemist Educational levels Electric power Electrochemistry Energy resources Faraday , Michael , 1791-1867 , chemist and natural philosopher Gay-Lussac , Joseph Louis , 1778-1850 , chemist x Lussac , Joseph Louis , Gay- Herschel , Sir , John Frederick William , 1792-1871 , 1st Baronet , astronomer Higher education King's College London Literary forms and genres Literature Meteorology Military School of the East India Company National Institute for the Promotion of Science Physical chemistry Prose Religious belief Ross , Sir , James Clark , 1800-1862 , Knight , polar navigator Royal Society Science education Theology

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The collection comprises correspondence, mainly concerning meteorological readings and Daniell's religious beliefs, lecture notebooks and printed pamphlets on meteorology and the battery, certificates of membership of learned societies, and obituaries and biographies of Daniell, 1821-1990. Notably including correspondence between Daniell and friends and colleagues such as Charles Babbage, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge, Charles James Blomfield, Bishop of London, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, engineer, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, Michael Faraday, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, chemist, John Frederic William Herschel, astronomer, James Clark Ross, polar navigator, principally concerning meteorology and meteorological instruments, the chemistry of batteries, the publication of Daniell's books and articles, the management of the Royal Society, London, Daniell's religious beliefs, 1821-1857; manuscript copies of lectures delivered by Daniell including at King's College London and the Military School of the East India Company, Addiscombe, Surrey, 1831-1845; printed articles and pamphlets by Daniell or reviews of his work, including On voltaic combinations (London, 1836), reviews of Meteorological essays and observations (London, 1823), 1823-1860; membership certificates of Daniell to various learned societies including National Institute for the Promotion of Science, Washington, US, 1839-1845; obituaries and biographies of Daniell, 1845-1990.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically, the remainder thematically and in chronological order.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

King's College London College Archives holds further references to Daniell in College in-correspondence (Ref: KA/IC), Council minutes (Ref: KA/C/M), photographs (Ref: K/PHOTO), College Calendars;

Finding aids

Collection level description on-line and due to be published in hard copy. Detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the College Archives reading room, King's College London.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Royal Society, London holds letters to Sir John Lubbock, 1833-1842 (Ref: LUB); University College London holds letters to the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1828-1838 (Ref: SDUK).

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

King's College London College Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area