Ephraim Seehl facts for kids
Ephraim Reinhold Seehl was a smart chemist (a scientist who studies chemicals) and apothecary (someone who made and sold medicines) from Sweden. He had a German background. He became well-known for making something called green vitriol, which is also known as copperas. He lived in England and died sometime after 1790.
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About Ephraim Seehl
Early Life and Moving to England
Ephraim Seehl's father was Captain Reinhold Seehl. His father was a German volunteer who joined the Swedish army and moved up in rank. Ephraim later settled in England. In 1783, the British Parliament passed a special law that made him a British subject. This means he became a legal citizen of Britain.
His Business as a Chemist
By 1757, Ephraim Seehl was listed in London records. In 1763, he was mentioned in a special directory called Universal Director by Thomas Mortimer. His entry said: "Seehl, Ephraim Rinhold, Copperas Merchant, Blackwall." This means he was a merchant who sold copperas (another name for green vitriol).
At this time, he was renting a factory called the Copperas Works in Bromley. He rented it from his brother-in-law, John Perry, who was a shipwright (someone who builds and repairs ships) from Blackwall Yard.
Travels and Interests
Ephraim Seehl traveled a lot around Europe. He was also one of the people who helped pay for a book called Mineralogia Cornubiensis (1778) by William Pryce. This book was about minerals found in Cornwall, England. Seehl was interested in many things, including some old groups or societies.
