Francis Wollaston (philosopher) facts for kids

Francis John Hyde Wollaston (born April 13, 1762, in London; died October 12, 1823) was an important English scientist and teacher. He was known as a natural philosopher, which was a term for scientists before "scientist" became common. He also held a special teaching job at the University of Cambridge called the Jacksonian Professor. He was even a Fellow of the Royal Society, a group of very smart people who study science.

Francis Wollaston's Early Life

Francis John Hyde Wollaston was born into a family of thinkers. His father was Francis Wollaston, an astronomer. He also had a brother named William Hyde Wollaston, who became a famous chemist.

Francis went to school in Scarning, Norfolk. Later, he attended Charterhouse, a well-known school. In 1779, he started studying at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

University and Career

Francis was a brilliant student at Cambridge. In 1783, he graduated as the senior wrangler. This means he was the top math student in his entire year!

Two years later, in 1785, he became a fellow at Trinity Hall. A fellow is like a senior member or teacher at a university college. In 1787, he became a priest.

In 1786, Francis was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a big honor for scientists in England. From 1792 to 1813, he was the Jacksonian Professor at Cambridge. This was a special teaching role in natural philosophy.

In 1793, he married Frances Hayles. Because of this, he had to leave his fellowship at Trinity Hall. The next year, he became the Rector of South Weald. A rector is a type of church leader.

In 1807, he was chosen to be the Master of Sidney Sussex College. However, this election was later cancelled. This was because he had never been a fellow of that specific college.

When he stopped being a professor in 1813, he took on more church duties. From 1813 to 1823, he was the rector of Cold Norton. He also became the Archdeacon of Essex, another important church position.

Francis John Hyde Wollaston is buried with his father. Their graves are in St Nicholas's Churchyard in Chislehurst.

Published Works

Francis John Hyde Wollaston also wrote some books and papers. These are some of his known works:

• A Plan of a Course of Chemical Lectures, published in 1794. This was likely a guide for his chemistry classes.
• Charge, delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Essex, published in 1815. This was a speech he gave to other church leaders.