Arthur Aikin
Arthur Aikin (born May 19, 1773 in Warrington , Lancashire , † April 15, 1854 in London ) was an English chemist, mineralogist and author.
Aikin was the son of doctor and writer John Aikin (1747-1822) and the older brother of Lucy Aikin (1781-1864), a biographer and historical writer. His aunt Anna Laetitia Barbauld was also a well-known author.
He studied at Warrington Academy , a school of nonconformists where his father had already been taught. In 1786 he began training as a Unitarian preacher , but broke it off for reasons of conscience. He met Joseph Priestley early on , a former Warrington Academy teacher and discoverer of oxygen who supported him in his studies of chemistry, mineralogy, and botany. He published several works on the mineralogy of England.
In 1807 he was one of the 13 founders of the Geological Society and was one of its secretaries from 1811 to 1817. He resigned to perform the same role with the Royal Society of Arts that he held for 23 years. In 1841 he became treasurer of the Chemical Society . He was also a member of the Linnean Society since 1818 .
Works
- Journal of a Tour through North Wales and Part of Shropshire with Observations in Mineralogy and Other Branches of Natural History , London 1797.
- A Manual of Mineralogy , 1814.
- A Dictionary of Chemistry and Mineralogy , 2 volumes, London 1807 and 1814.
Honors
The mineral aikinite , discovered and described in 1843, was named after him.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Aikin, Arthur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English chemist, mineralogist and author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 19, 1773 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Warrington , Lancashire |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 1854 |
| Place of death | London |