William Higgins (chemist) facts for kids
William Higgins (born 1763, died 1825) was an Irish chemist. He was one of the first people to talk about the atomic theory, which explains how everything is made of tiny particles called atoms. William Higgins is known for his ideas on how chemicals combine. His life also shows us how chemistry became a real job during the British Industrial Revolution.
Even though he was charming, William sometimes had trouble getting along with people. This meant he didn't fit in well with the important people in London. Instead, he found work as a chemist in Dublin, often supported by the government. Because he had these science opportunities and help from his family, he became a very rich man.
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Who Was William Higgins?
William Higgins was born in Collooney, a town in County Sligo, Ireland. He came from a family of doctors. His father, Thomas Higgins, was a physician who studied at the University of Edinburgh. William's uncle, Bryan Higgins, was also a famous chemist.
When William was a boy, he moved to London to live with his uncle. His uncle taught him a lot about chemistry experiments, and William quickly became very good at them.
Early Chemistry Work
In the early 1780s, William helped his uncle Bryan Higgins with many experiments. These experiments were written about in his uncle's book, Experiments and Observations Relating to Acetous Acid.
In 1785, William traveled around England to look at minerals and visit places where chemicals were made. In 1788, he started studying at Pembroke College, Oxford, but he didn't finish his degree.
After Oxford, William spent four years in London. During this time, he published his most important book, Comparative View of Phlogistic and Antiphlogistic Theories. In this book, he wrote about many ideas that were similar to John Dalton's atomic theory, almost 20 years before Dalton published his own work.
Starting His Career in Dublin
After a disagreement with his uncle, William left London in 1792 and moved to Dublin. There, he became a chemist at Apothecaries Hall.
William quickly got busy setting up the laboratory. He also attended meetings at the Royal Irish Academy and worked part-time for the Irish Linen Board, which dealt with fabrics. However, the company he worked for had money problems, and William lost his job.
A chemist named Richard Kirwan suggested that William become the supervisor of the important Leskean Cabinet of minerals. This collection had recently been bought by the Royal Dublin Society. Soon after, William became a professor of chemistry for the Society.
In 1803, William took a break from the Dublin Society. He went to London to be on a committee that was choosing a special tool called a hydrometer. This tool was used to measure how strong alcoholic drinks were, which helped with taxes.
While in London, William met Humphry Davy. Davy was a student of William's uncle, Bryan. William and Humphry became good friends, especially after 1810. Humphry Davy helped William get credit for discovering the chemical atomic theory, saying William's ideas came before those of their rival, John Dalton.
William's ideas about the chemical atomic theory are found in his book, Comparative View. He used diagrams to show how tiny particles might react with each other and how forces between them worked. Some evidence suggests that Dalton might have known about William's book when he developed his own atomic theory.
Later Life and Death
William Higgins passed away in June 1825 in Grafton Street, Dublin.
