Thomas Graham1

#7832, (1805 - 1869)
FatherJames Graham1 (1776 - 1842)
MotherMargaret Paterson1 (s 1775 - )
RelationshipGreat-grandson of James Graham
Extended Family
ChartsJames Graham & Agnes Finlayson - collapsible 7-generation descendant chart
Thomas Graham (1805-1869)
Master of the Mint
(photo undated)

Life Events

BirthThomas Graham was born on 21 Dec 1805 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire.1,2
 
Note.The 1845 Statistical Account of Scotland noted that "Strathallan parish abounds with perennial springs and that the only known mineral spring is in the farm yard of Ballewan. The water resembles the Spa."3 
Land Record In 1842, Thomas Graham succeeded his father to Ballewan. His father died without leaving a will, so Thomas, the eldest son, inherited many properties. All but Ballewan, he divested to relatives.4,2 
1851 CensusHe and Margaret Graham appeared on the 1851 Census of St Pancras, Marylebone, Middlesex, at 4 Gordon Square, enumerated 30 Mar 1851. Thomas was age 45, unmarried, a Professor of Chemistry AM FRA, and was born in Scotland. His sister Margaret was unmarried, age 47, a Proprietress of Houses, and born in Scotland. With them was their niece Margaret Reid, as well as a cook, a housemaid, and a male house servant.5 
Photograph This photograph was paired with one of his sister Margaret.6
Thomas Graham (1805-1869)
Master of the Mint
(photo undated)
Photograph7
Thomas Graham (1805-1872)
Roscoe, Henry, The Life & Experiences of Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe (1906, Macmillan: London and New York), p.34
(Executor) WillThomas Graham was named an executor in the will of his uncle John Graham dated 14 Jan 1858 in Stirling. He was described as Thomas Graham of Ballewan, Master of Her Majestys Mint.8 
1861 CensusThomas Graham appeared on the 1861 Census of St Pancras, Marylebone, Middlesex, at 4 Gordon Square. Thomas was age 55, unmarried, Master of H M Mint MA DCL, and was born Scotland. He had one male & two female general servants.9 
(Executor & Heir) WillHe was named an executor and an heir in the will of Margaret Graham dated 19 Jul 1861 in Glasgow. To brother Thomas £100.10 
(Executor) ProbateThomas Graham was appointed an executor of the estate of his sister Margaret Graham in Dec 1866.10 
(Admon) ProbateThomas Graham of Gordon-square in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, Master of Her Majesty's Mint and sole executor was granted administration of his brother John Graham's estate on 16 Jul 1869.11 
DeathThomas Graham died, unmarried, on 16 Sep 1869 in 4 Gordon Square, London.4
 
BurialHe was buried in High Church, Glasgow.2 
Research Note An interesting article about him was Memoir of Thomas Graham by Prof. Josiah P Cook, Jr which was published in 1870 in The American journal of science and arts but is too lengthy to reproduce here. A copy is available on Google books.

The Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow, Volume 7 occurred in November 1869. The president James Bryce's opening remarks were chiefly devoted to an account of the life and labours of Thomas Graham. A copy is also available on Google books and well worth reading.

An interesting obituary was published in the very first issue of Nature.

Below is but one of the many obituaries published following Graham's death. 
ObituaryHis obituary was published in the The Living Age.

THOMAS GRAHAM, M.A., F.R.S. -- Science has sustained a great loss in the death of Mr. Graham, the Master of the Mint. A native of Glasgow, and a graduate of the University of that place, after some stay in Edinburgh, he returned to Glasgow where he remained for some time as Lecturer at the Mechanics' Institute. In 1827 he was elected Professor of Chemistry at University College, London, which chair he held till his appointment to the Mint in 1855. His first paper in 1826 was on the Absorption of Gases by Liquids, his last papers were the important ones recently published, on the absorption of Hydrogen by Metals, in which he showed that hydrogen really behaved as a metal, forming alloys with other metals, especially with palladium. he suggested that under these circumstances it should receive the name of Hydrogenium. his name will also be remembered in connection with his Law of the Diffusion of Gases, the process of Dialysis, and the distinction between crystalline and colloid bodies. He was not an eloquent speaker, but his power of manipulation and the success of his experiments made him a successful teacher.12
 
ProbateHis estate was proved on 16 Oct 1869. Entry from the calendar:

Graham Thomas Esq. Letters of Administration of the Personal estate and effects of Thomas Graham late of 4 Gordon-square in the County of Middlesex and of Ballewan in the County of Stirling in North Britain Esquire Master of the Royal Mint London a Bachelor deceased who died 16 September 1869 at 4 Gordon-square aforesaid domiciled in England were granted at the Principal Registry to Mary Reid (Wife of James Reid, Cashier of the Union Bank of Scotland) of Blythswood-square in the City of Glasgow North Britain the Sister and only Next of Kin of the said Deceased she having been first sworn. Effects under £16,000 in the United Kingdom. Resworn at the Principal Registry Under £18,000.13
 
Note.Outline of Thomas Graham's working life:
early - preparatory school of Dr Angus
1814 - entered the Grammar School, since called the High School, receiving a classical education under Dr. Dymock and Dr. Chrystal
1819 - to University, completed A.M. degree
- chose not to enter ministry as expected by his father and pursued chemistry at Glasgow University under Dr Thomas Thomson
- studied under Dr Hope in Edinburgh, returning to Glasgow in 1827
- taught mathematics privately for a short while, then opened a private laboratory in North Portland Street for chemistry analyses and instruction
1828 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
1829 appointed Lecturer on Chemitry to the Mechanics' Institution
1830 Professor in Anderson's University for seven years and occasionally delivered chemistry lectures to ladies
- joined the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, serving as Vice-President
1834 received the "Keith Medal" of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
1836 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
1838 received the "Royal Medal" of the Royal Society of London
1837 appointed to the Chair of Chemistry at the University College, London, which he held for 18 years
1841 one of the founders, and first president, of the Chemical Society of London
1842 published Elements of Chemistry, which can be read or downloaded from the Internet Archive
1850 again awarded the Royal Medal for his paper on the motion of gases
1855 appointed Master of the Mint, only for the second time bestowed for scientific attainments rather than political services. It had a salary of £1500
1862 received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society for his papers on Liquid Diffusion in advancing chemical physics

* Formulated what is now known as Graham's Law of effusion
* came up with the term Colloids from the Greek Kolle, meaning jelly
* as a result of his work with colloids, discovered dialysis.2

 
PublicationAn incomplete list of Thomas Graham's many publications:

"Absorption of Gases by Liquids" both in the Scots Mechanic's Magazine and Annals of Philosophy July 1826
"The Heat of Friction" (An. Phil., xii, page 260)
"The Production of Alcohol in the course of the Fermentation of Bread in Baking" (same vol., page 363)
"On the Influence of the Air in determining the Crystallization of Saline Solutions"; "An Account of the Formation of Alcoates, definite Compounds of Salts and Alcohol, analogous to the Hydrates," (Transactions of the Royal Soc., Edinburgh, vol xi, pages 114, 175)
"The Action of Animal Charcoal on various Solutions" (Quarterly Journal of Science, vol vii., N.S., page 120, 1830)
"On the Oxidation of Phosphorus" (Quarterly Journal, vol vi, N,S., page 83)
"On theAbsorption of Carbonic Acid through the Pores of a Moist Bladder, partly filled with another Gas" (same vol., page 88)
A series of "Chemical Observations" "On Platinum, applied to Eudiometry"; "On Crystallization of Barley-sugar"; "On Detection of Arsenic"; "On Chrome Orange" (same volume, page 354)
"A Short Account of Experimental Researches on the Diffusion of Gases through each other, and their Separation by Mechanical means" (Quarterly Journal of Science, vol. vi., N.S., page 74)
He submitted his completed paper on the subject after two years more research, on 17 December 1831 (Trans., R.S.E., vol. xii., page 222) [led to Keith Medal]
Further papers in the Transactions of the Royal Society, Edinburgh (vol. xiii., xiv.) included
"On Phosphorated Hydrogen", "Water as a Constituent of Salts", "On the Arseniates and Phosphates"
"On the Constitution of Salts, Oxalates, nitrates, Phosphates, Sulphates, and Chlorides" (Royal Society Transactions, 1836) [led to Royal Medal]
Paper on the motion of gases, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1849 led to another Royal Medal
"On the Osmotic Force" (Philosophical Transactions, 1854)
"Liquid Diffusion applied to Analysis" (Philosophical Transactions, 1861)

Special reports:
"On the Cause of the Fire in the Steamer 'Amazon'" to the Privy Council (Jour. of Chem. Soc., vol v, 1853, page 34)
"On the Water Supply of London" with Dr W A Miller and Dr Hofmann (Jour. Chem. Soc., vol iv, 1852)
"On Original Gravities" to the Board of Inland Revenue, regarding worts of beer on exportation (Jour. Chem. Soc., vol v, 1853)
"On the Adulteration of Coffee" for the Board of Revenue (Jour. Chem. Soc., vol ix, 1856).2
 
AnecdoteJames Young was born at Drygate, Glasgow, on 13 July 1811, the son of John Young, a joiner . He received a scanty education at night school, working at the bench with his father during the day. In 1830 he went to the evening lectures of Thomas Graham, at the Andersonian University, Glasgow. In 1831 Young was appointed Graham's assistant and used occasionally to take Graham's lectures. In 1837 Young went with Graham to University College, London, and helped him with experimental work. (1839-1883 Young had a successful career developing paraffin which I didn't copy out). Young had a long professional friendship with his teacher and mentor Thomas Graham. He presented a bronze statue to the city of Glasgow, erected in George Square, of Graham, and he had Graham's "Researches" printed for private distribution at his expense in 1876.14
 
.15
Statue of Thomas Graham
Erected in George Square, Glasgow
Last Edited25 Jun 2011

Citations

  1. [S304] Index of Scottish Old Parish Registers CD.
  2. [S2466] Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, Proceedings of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, Volume VII (Glasgow: John Smith and Son, 1871). Digitized copy available at Google Books and at the Internet Archive.
  3. [S311] The Statistical Account of Scotland, 1845.
  4. [S508] John Guthrie Smith, The parish of Strathblane and its inhabitants from early times: a chapter in Lennox history (Glasgow: J. Maclehose and sons, 1886). Chapter 5: Ballewan. Digitised copy viewed at Internet Archive.
  5. [S932] 1851 Census for England & Wales, HO107/1494 folio 761 page 44 & 45. Image viewed at Ancestry.
  6. [S1509] Photograph of Thomas Graham, taken by unknown photographer, unknown location, undated (John Chisholm, 2008).
  7. [S1192] Website Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org), Thomas Graham.
  8. [S512] Trust Disposition and Deed of Settlement of Reverend Doctor John Graham of Killearn, 14 January 1858, proved in the Stirling Sheriff Court, 18 November 1865, (FHL film #0463065, vol. 50, pp 499-519).
  9. [S875] 1861 Census for England & Wales, RG9/103 folio 53 page 26. Image viewed at Ancestry.
  10. [S1519] Trust Disposition and Settlement of Margaret Graham, Edinburgh Sheriff Court, 19 July 1861 (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/, SC70/4/103), images.
  11. [S2280] England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858-1966. Images viewed at Ancestry.com. John Graham, Esq, 1869.
  12. [S2465] E. Littell, conductor, Littell's Living Age, Fourth Series, Volume XV (Boston: Littell & Gay, 1869). Digitized copy viewed on Google Books, page 575.
  13. [S2280] England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858-1966. Images viewed at Ancestry.com. Thomas Graham, Esq, 1869.
  14. [S384] Online, http://epona.lib.ed.ac.uk:1822/isaar/P0206.html
  15. [S2499] Geograph, a project to photograph every square kilometer of Great Britain and Ireland, online http://www.geograph.org.uk/, Image copyright Christ Downer and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.