Memoirs of the Distinguished Men of Science of Great Britain Living in the Years 1807-8Walker, William
History
Memoirs of the Distinguished Men of Science of Great Britain Living in the Years 1807-8
Walker, William
Scientists -- Great Britain -- Biography
In the year 1800 Mr. Tennant removed from Darnly to St. Rollox,
Glasgow, where he commenced business as a large manufacturing chemist,
taking into partnership Mr. Charles Mackintosh, Mr. William Cowper, and
Mr. James Knox. During the remainder of his life Mr. Tennant devoted
himself with energy to the forwarding of his business, and ultimately
caused his manufactory to become the largest and most extensive of its
kind in Europe. He also took considerable interest in the politics of
the day. His principles were those of an intelligent and liberal-minded
reformer, and he was long looked up to as one of the leading men of his
party, although the least tainted by mere party spirit or selfishness.
Mr. Tennant was likewise conspicuous in his promotion of many public
undertakings. He took a deep interest in the furtherance of the railway
system; the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway may be said to owe its origin
and completion almost entirely to him, while his invincible industry
and perseverance contributed greatly towards the establishment of
the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. He was a great friend of George
Stephenson's, and was present with him at the opening of the Liverpool
and Manchester Railroad when the unfortunate accident occurred which
resulted in the melancholy death of Mr. Huskisson.
Mr. Tennant died rather suddenly, in his seventy-first year, at
his house in Abercrombie Place, Glasgow. He was possessed of a
constitutional nervousness, rather remarkable in one of a large and
healthy frame, allied to a peculiar sensitiveness to the beautiful.
In after life he would often talk with pleasure of his youthful
reminiscences of the poet Burns, who was at that time on terms of
considerable intimacy with his family. Mr. Tennant was an earnest and
indefatigable promoter of economical and educational improvement; an
uncompromising friend of civil and religious liberty; while his own
inborn energy of character and clear intellect placed him among the
foremost of those men who, by uniting science to manufactures, have at
once extended their fields of action, and entitled their occupations to
be classed among the ranks of the liberal professions.--_The Progress
of Science and Art as developed in the Bleaching of Cotton, by Henry
Ashworth, Paper read before the British Association at Manchester_,
September 5, 1861; _and_, _Particulars communicated by the Family_.
THOMAS THOMSON, M.D., F.R.S.
Born April 12, 1773. Died July 2, 1852.
Dr. Thomas Thomson, Regius Professor of Chemistry in the University of
Glasgow, who exercised a remarkable influence in the development and
extension of the science of chemistry during the present age, was born
at Crieff, in Perthshire. He received his early education at the parish
school of that place, and after remaining for a time under the care of
Dr. Doig, of Stirling, went to the University of St. Andrews, where he
remained for a period of three years.
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