Percival Norton Johnson facts for kids
Percival Norton Johnson (born 1792, died 1866) was a very important person in the world of precious metals. He was the person who started Johnson Matthey, which became the biggest company in the United Kingdom dealing with valuable metals like gold and silver.
Percival Johnson's Work
Percival Johnson learned a lot about metals from his father's business. He became an expert in checking and cleaning precious metals. In 1817, he started his own company.
He was especially good at working with gold that came from Brazil. He found a clever way to take out a metal called Palladium from the gold. This made the gold look even better!
Because of his great skills, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1846. This is a big honor for scientists and experts.
In 1851, he joined forces with a stockbroker named George Matthey. Together, they formed the famous company Johnson Matthey. Just one year later, in 1852, his company was chosen to be the official assayer (metal checker) for the Bank of England. This showed how much people trusted his work.
Percival Johnson was also interested in silver-mining. In 1854, he moved to a place called Stoke Fleming in Devon, where he had mining projects. He stopped working in 1860 and passed away in 1866.
His Family Life
Percival Johnson married Elizabeth Lydia Smith in 1817. They did not have any children. Later, in 1858, he married a second time to Georgina Elizabeth Ellis.
