George Cadogan Morgan facts for kids

George Cadogan Morgan (born 1754, died 1798) was a smart Welshman who was both a religious leader and a scientist. He made important discoveries in science during his life.

Early Life and Education

George Cadogan Morgan was born in 1754 in Bridgend, Glamorganshire, Wales. His father, William Morgan, was a surgeon. George was the second son in the family. His older brother, William Morgan, became famous for his work in actuarial science. This field uses math to study risk, like for insurance.

George went to Cowbridge grammar school. Later, he studied for a short time at Jesus College, Oxford, starting in 1771.

Becoming a Minister

George first thought about becoming a priest in the Church of England. But his father passed away, and his family faced money problems. This changed his plans.

His religious ideas also shifted. His uncle, Dr. Richard Price, helped guide him. George then studied at a special school called a dissenting academy in Hoxton. He stayed there for several years.

In 1776, George became a Unitarian minister in Norwich. Some people there didn't like his modern ideas. Later, he was a minister in Yarmouth from 1785 to 1786.

Moving to Hackney and Teaching

In 1787, George moved to Hackney. There, he worked with his uncle, Dr. Price, to start a new school called New College at Hackney. George taught there until 1791.

Travels and the French Revolution

In 1789, George traveled through France with three friends. He wrote letters to his wife about his trip. These letters are still kept today.

He was in Paris when the Bastille prison was stormed. This event was a big start to the French Revolution. George is thought to be the first person to share this news in England.

He liked the early ideas of the revolution. He believed that people could make great progress. He thought the human mind could become so smart that it could just know things without needing to do research.

Later Life and Retirement

After Dr. Price died in 1791, George hoped to take his place as a preacher. But he didn't get the job. So, he moved to Southgate, a village north of London.

In Southgate, he started teaching students privately. He was very good at it and had much success.

Scientific Work and Discoveries

George Cadogan Morgan became well-known as a science writer. His most famous book was Lectures on Electricity. He had given these talks to students at Hackney. In his lectures, he even hinted at some discoveries that scientists would make much later.

In the field of chemistry, he supported the ideas of Stahl. This was different from the ideas of Lavoisier, who was a very famous chemist. George was working on a chemistry book when he passed away.

In 1785, he sent a paper to the Royal Society. This paper was about his "Observations and Experiments on the Light of Bodies in a state of Combustion." This means he studied how things glowed when they burned.

He also wrote a book called 'Directions for the use of a Scientific Table'. This book included a detailed table to help organize all kinds of knowledge. He also made good progress writing about the life of his uncle, Dr. Richard Price.

George Cadogan Morgan died on November 17, 1798. He caught a fever, possibly from breathing in something harmful during a chemistry experiment.

Family Life

George Cadogan Morgan was married to Nancy Hurry from Yarmouth. They had seven sons and one daughter. Their daughter, Sarah, married Luke Ashburner. He was an important person in Bombay, India.

Two of George's sons, William Ashburner Morgan and Edward Morgan, both became lawyers for the East India Company. This company was very powerful in trade. Most of his other sons moved to America. His oldest son, Richard Price Morgan, worked on railroads and other engineering projects there.