Alexander John Forsyth
Alexander John Forsyth (born December 28, 1769 in Belhelvie ( Aberdeenshire ), † June 11, 1843 in Belhelvie) was a Scottish clergyman ( Reverend ) of the Presbyterian Church and is considered to be the inventor of strike ignition.
Life
As the son of pastor James Forsyth, Alexander Forsyth also chose this profession. Raised at King's College (University) in Aberdeen , he succeeded his late father in 1790 and became a pastor in Belhelvie. In addition, he worked on chemistry and constructed a novel ignition mechanism for the propellant charge of projectiles in handguns from 1805-07 . In 1807 he had his invention patented. This ignition device is known as the percussion lock and replaced the more unreliable flintlock systems that had been common up until then .
The propellant charge was ignited by means of "acidic mercury oxide".
The British Army's interest in its construction was initially great and Forsyth initially received support from the master-general of the artillery, Lord Moira. He was able to develop his design further in a workshop in the Tower of London, and later Forsyth founded the company "Forsyth & Co." in Piccadilly. An offer of Napoleon , for 20,000 pounds to go with his invention to France, he refused.
In addition to his work as a pastor and inventor, Forsyth founded a savings bank in Belhelvie. It was only very late that he was recognized by the British government in the form of a modest pension, with the first (and last) installment on the day of his death. Forsyth died in 1843, he rests in the old Belhelvie cemetery in the family grave next to his father.
Honors
In the Tower of London , a monument to him was erected in 1929-30, also recalls him a bronze plaque at the Cromwell Tower. Another plaque is located in the "Quad" of Kings College at the University of Aberdeen.
Web links
- Entry in the Encyclopaedia Britannica (English)
- Portrait and more information (english)
Individual evidence
- ^ "Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1888; collective of authors, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig and Vienna, fourth edition, 1885-1892; 8th volume, page 102 on the Internet since 2005; text checked on January 9, 2010; published by Peter Hug ; Accessed on December 27, 2012 with URL: " http://www.eLexikon.ch/lexikon/werdergewehr
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Forsyth, Alexander John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Belhelvie Blacksmith |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish clergyman and inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 28, 1769 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Belhelvie |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 11, 1843 |
| Place of death | Belhelvie |