William Gregor facts for kids

William Gregor (born December 25, 1761 – died June 11, 1817) was an English clergyman and mineralogist. He is famous for discovering the metal element called titanium.

Who Was William Gregor?

William Gregor was born on December 25, 1761, in Trewarthenick Estate in Cornwall, England. His father was Francis Gregor, and his mother was Mary Copley. He had a brother named Francis Gregor.

William's Early Education

William went to Bristol Grammar School. There, he became very interested in chemistry. After school, he studied with a private teacher for two years. Then, he went to St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1784 and a master's degree in 1787.

Life as a Clergyman

After finishing his studies, William Gregor became a priest in the Church of England. He worked as a vicar (a type of priest) at St Mary's Church in Diptford, near Totnes, in Devon. In 1790, he married Charlotte Anne Gwatkin. They had one daughter together.

How Was Titanium Discovered?

In 1793, William Gregor and his family moved to Creed in Cornwall. This is where he continued his important work studying minerals. He was very good at chemical analysis, which means figuring out what different rocks and minerals are made of. Most of the minerals he studied came from Cornwall.

Gregor's Mineral Studies

William Gregor analyzed many different minerals. These included zeolites, which are found in rocks like gabbro. He also studied wavellite, tourmaline, and minerals containing uranium like torbernite and autunite. Other minerals he looked at were scorodite (an arsenate), mimetite (a lead mineral), and niccolite (a nickel mineral).

The Discovery of Manaccanite

In 1791, William Gregor made his most famous discovery. He was studying a type of black sand he found in the Manaccan valley. From this sand, he was able to separate a new substance. He realized it was a new metal, and he called it manaccanite.

Naming the Element Titanium

Later in 1791, another scientist named Martin Heinrich Klaproth also discovered this same element. He found it in a mineral called rutile. Klaproth didn't know that Gregor had already found it. He named the new element titanium after the powerful Titans from Greek Mythology. Eventually, it became clear that William Gregor had discovered it first. So, Gregor received credit for the discovery, but the element kept the name titanium that Klaproth had chosen.

Gregor later found titanium in other places too. He found it in corundum from Tibet and in a tourmaline from a local tin mine.

What is Titanium?

Titanium is a special kind of metal called a transition metal. It has an atomic number of 22 and an atomic mass of 47.867. Titanium is known for being very strong, light, and resistant to rust. It is used in many things, like airplanes, medical implants, and even sports equipment!

William Gregor's Legacy

William Gregor was recognized for his important scientific work. In 1807, he became an honorary member of the Geological Society of London. In 1814, he helped start the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. He had many friends and colleagues who were also scientists, like John Hawkins and Philip Rashleigh.

Besides his science and church duties, Gregor was also a talented artist. He enjoyed painting landscapes, making etchings, and playing music. He always made sure his scientific work did not get in the way of his church responsibilities.

William Gregor passed away on June 11, 1817, from tuberculosis. He was buried at Cornelly church, which was nearby. His discovery of titanium was a major contribution to chemistry and mineralogy.