The Chemical Society was a

scientific society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to a ...

formed in 1841 (then named the Chemical Society of London) by 77 scientists as a result of increased interest in scientific matters. Chemist Robert Warington was the driving force behind its creation.

The London Chemical Society 1824

The early days of the 1824 Chemical Society came with a rough start. Among the artisan class, the magazine ''The Chemist'', written by John Knight and Henry Lacey, had started to get some traction. Some argue that they falsely mentioned that the 1824 Chemical Society was attempting to gather an educated upper and middle-class group of chemists and philosophers. Because of this, the writers of ''The Chemist'' maintained a very practical and anti-theoretical bias, as they had lashed out at the time wasted by academic chemists researching atomic weight distributions. To find a means of how this society should be better set up and run, correspondents and proponents of ''The Chemist'' advised that membership in The Chemical Society be limited to 20, pay a subscription fee, and cast ballots as to how they are to run the society. The thought was that the society would adopt a more experimental system as opposed to the previously disliked theoretical system. In doing so, members would give a lecture, and illustrative of the experiments they performed. Later, the official launch of the "London Chemistry Society" started with the new promise of "the study of chemistry and all its branches", with ''The Chemist'' working along-side them. Despite its founding in 1824, it is doubtful that the Chemical Society made it into 1825. The Chemical Society of London, however, would eventually be founded under Robert Warington and had much more success than its predecessor.

History

One of the aims of the Chemical Society was to hold meetings for "the communication and discussion of discoveries and observations, an account of which shall be published by the Society". In 1847, its importance was recognized by a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

, which added to its role in the advancement of science, the development of chemical applications in industry. Only a decade after the creation of the Chemical Society of London, the society faced financial difficulties. Its survival was only possible through a merge with the Government School of Mines, now known as the Royal School of Mines, in 1853. One of the major issues was that most Chemical Society members were in London. In contrast, most industries were located farther north, with South Lancashire becoming one of the most important parts of the British chemical industry, overshadowing the Chemical Society's work. The reason why the Chemical Society worked with the Government School of Mines is because they did extensive work with mines as well. The Chemical Society's work with mines focused on testing and sampling gases. Dr. Graham worked at Newcastle Coal Mines examining "light carbureted gas"(methane). This work was crucial as mining safety concerns grew, especially after the Felling Colliery Disaster, which led to the founding of the Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Coal Mines in 1813. August W Hofmann

Although the Chemical Society often did not work with some larger chemical industries, smaller London industries offered collaboration opportunities. This included photography, which required fine chemicals for development, natural dyes, and drugs. August Wilhelm Hofmann, a prominent member, conducted groundbreaking research on coal tar products for two decades. Hofmann's work transformed coal tar from a waste material into a valuable resource for creating vibrant dyes, establishing a new industrial sector. Hofmann's work transformed coal tar from a waste material into a valuable resource for creating vibrant dyes, establishing a new industrial sector. His contributions led to his election as president of the Chemical Society in 1861. Now because of the "marriage of science and industry heralded the creation of London's Royal College of Chemistry," lead to the increasing role of the Chemistry Society in London's Chemical industry. Membership was open to all those interested in chemistry, but fellowship was restricted to men only. The Chemical Society of London succeeded where a number of previous chemical associations - the

Lunar Society The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a British dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophy, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly b ...

's London branch chemical society of the 1780s, the Animal Chemical Club of 1805, the London Chemical Society of 1824 - failed. Many of these societies mentioned built the basis on which the Chemical Society of London was founded. One assertion of a cause of success of the Chemical Society of London is that it was, unlike its forerunners, a "fruitful amalgamation of the technological and academic chemist". Robert Warington had an upbringing in chemistry that ultimately led to the creation of the Chemical Society of London (in 1841). Warington had started making a name for himself in the chemistry world, having close ties with Liebig and

Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

. Using this, after working for 7 years in a brewery, he departed 2 years later, during which, he began paving the way for the founding of a Chemical Society in London. Utilizing connections he had made throughout his professional career he reached out to numerous chemists to create the first meeting of the official Chemical Society of London (March 30, 1841). By this meeting, they had acquired seventy-seven men as new fellows. One of the men from the Chemical Society of 1824, George Smith, was also a member of this 1841 society. Their numbers would grow to over one hundred by the year 1867. The society used its scholarly background to display its reputation and stature and grow its connections to elevate itself and its members. Its activities expanded over the years, including eventually becoming a major publisher in the field of chemistry. On May 15, 1980, it amalgamated with the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society, and the Society for Analytical Chemistry to become the

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the ...

. The Chemical Society also was expanding far before this as Roberts and Simmons wrote about British Chemical Societies, "Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, of those who worked outside the UK, more than half worked in Europe, the United States, or a range of other countries outwith the British Empire."

Women in The Chemical Society

After a proposal in 1880 questioning women's membership in The Chemical Society, it was decided that any women present in the Chemical Society were only guests as the Presidential address from Birkbeck revealed that women were not eligible for membership. This is something that would hold true until 1920. That, however, was not the only time this topic would be brought up as a similar proposal was brought up and rejected in 1888. Much of the reasoning behind the rejection of these proposals has to do with Henry Armstrong stating, "for fear of sacrificing their womanhood; they are those who should be regarded as chosen people, as destined to be the mothers of future chemists of ability." In 1904, Edith Humphrey, thought to be the first British woman to gain a doctorate in chemistry (at the

University of Zurich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...

), was one of nineteen women chemists to petition the Chemical Society for admission of women to fellowship (largely inspired after the admission of

Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...

as a foreign fellow). This was eventually granted in 1919, and Humphrey was subsequently elected to fellowship. This, however, was not the first attempt for women to enter The Chemical Society. In 1892, a woman (either Emily Lloyd or Lucy Boole) had tried. With that, William Ramsey emerged as a supporter within the society for the admission of women into The Chemical Society.

Presidents

* Thomas Graham: 1841–1843 * Arthur Aikin: 1843–1845 * Thomas Graham: 1845–1847 * William Thomas Brande: 1847–1849 * Richard Phillips: 1849–1851 *

Charles Daubeny Charles Giles Bridle Daubeny (11 February 179512 December 1867) was an English chemist, botanist and geologist. Education Daubeny was born at Stratton near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, the son of the Rev. James Daubeny. He went to Winchest ...

: 1851–1853 * Colonel Philip Yorke: 1853–1855 * William Allen Miller: 1855–1857 * Sir Lyon Playfair: 1857–1859 * Sir Benjamin Brodie: 1859–1861 *

August Wilhelm von Hofmann August Wilhelm von Hofmann (8 April 18185 May 1892) was a German chemist who made considerable contributions to organic chemistry. His research on aniline helped lay the basis of the aniline-dye industry, and his research on coal tar laid the g ...

: 1861–1863 *

Alexander William Williamson Alexander William Williamson Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE Chemical Society, PCS MRIA (1 May 18246 May 1904) was an English chemist. He is best known today for the Williamson ether synthesis. Life Williamson was born in 1824 in Wands ...

: 1863–1865 * William Allen Miller: 1865–1867 * Warren de la Rue: 1867–1869 *

: 1869–1871 * Sir Edward Frankland: 1871–1873 * William Odling: 1873–1875 * Sir Frederick Augustus Abel: 1875–1877 * John Hall Gladstone: 1877–1878 * Warren de la Rue: 1879–1880 * Sir

Henry Enfield Roscoe Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe (7 January 1833 – 18 December 1915) was a British chemist. He is particularly noted for early work on vanadium, photochemical studies, and his assistance in creating Oxo, in its earlier liquid form. Life and work ...

: 1880–1882 * Sir Joseph Henry Gilbert: 1882–1883 * William Henry Perkin: 1883–1885 * Hugo Müller: 1885–1887 * Sir

William Crookes Sir William Crookes (; 17 June 1832 – 4 April 1919) was an English chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, now part of Imperial College London, and worked on spectroscopy. He was a pioneer of vacuum tubes, inventing ...

: 1887–1889 * William James Russell: 1889–1891 *

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish Organic chemistry, organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildi ...

: 1891–1893 * Henry Edward Armstrong: 1893–1895 * Augustus George Vernon Harcourt: 1895–1897 * Sir James Dewar: 1897–1899 * Sir Thomas Edward Thorpe: 1899–1901 * James Emerson Reynolds: 1901–1903 * William Augustus Tilden: 1903–1905 * Raphael Meldola: 1905–1907 * Sir William Ramsay: 1907–1909 * Harold Baily Dixon: 1909–1911 * Percy Faraday Frankland: 1911–1913 * Sir William Henry Perkin Jnr: 1913–1915

* Alexander Scott: 1915–1917 * Sir William Jackson Pope: 1917–1919 * James Johnston Dobbie: 1919–1921 * Sir James Walker: 1921–1923 * : 1923–1925 * : 1925–1926 * Herbert Brereton Baker: 1926–1928 * Sir Jocelyn Field Thorpe: 1928–1931 * George Gerald Henderson: 1931–1933 * Sir Gilbert Thomas Morgan: 1933–1935 * Nevil Vincent Sidgwick: 1935–1937 * Sir Frederick George Donnan: 1937–1939 * Sir Robert Robinson: 1939–1941 * James Charles Philip: 1941 to August 1941 * William Hobson Mills: 1941–1944 * Walter Norman Haworth: 1944–1946 * Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood: 1946–1948 * Sir Ian Morris Heilbron: 1948–1950 * Sir Eric Keightley Rideal: 1950–1952 * Sir

Christopher Kelk Ingold Sir Christopher Kelk Ingold (28 October 1893 – 8 December 1970) was a British chemist based in Leeds and London. His groundbreaking work in the 1920s and 1930s on reaction mechanisms and the electronic structure of organic compounds was resp ...

: 1952–1954 * : 1954–1956 * Sir Edmund Langley Hirst: 1956–1958 * Harry Julius Emeleus: 1958–1960 * Lord Alexander Robertus Todd: 1960–1962 * John Monteath Robertson: 1962–1964 * Sir Ewart Ray Herbert Jones: 1964–1966 * Sir Harry Work Melville: 1966–1968 * Sir Ronald Sydney Nyholm: 1968–1970 * Lord

George Porter George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, (6 December 1920 – 31 August 2002) was a British chemist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967. Education and early life Porter was born in Stainforth, near Thorne, in the then West ...

: 1970–1972 * Sir Frederick Sydney Dainton: 1972–1973 * Sir Derek Harold Richard Barton: 1973–1974 * Jack Wheeler Barrett: 1974–1975 * Frank Arnold Robinson: 1975–1976 * Cyril Clifford Addison: 1976–1977 * Alan Woodworth Johnson: 1977–1978 * Theodore Morris Sugden: 1978–1979 * Dr Alfred Spinks: 1979–1980

Original members

On 23 February 1841, a meeting was convened to take into consideration the formation of a Chemical Society. The Provisional Committee appointed for carrying that object into effect invited a number of gentlemen engaged in the practice and pursuit of chemistry to become original members. The following 77 communicated their written assent:

* Arthur Aikin *

Thomas Andrews Thomas Andrews Jr. (7 February 1873 – 15 April 1912) was a British businessman and shipbuilder, who was managing director and head of the drafting department of the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. He was the naval ...

* J A Barron * James Blake * William Blythe * William Thomas Brande * E W Brayley * Henry James Brooke * Charles Button * Thomas Clark * William John Cock * John Thomas Cooper * John Thomas Cooper Jnr. * Andrew Crosse * Walter Crum * James Cumming *

John Frederic Daniell John Frederic Daniell (12 March 1790 – 13 March 1845) was an England, English chemist and physicist. Biography Daniell was born in London. In 1831 he became the first professor of chemistry at the newly founded King's College London; and in ...

Edmund Davy Edmund Davy Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (1785 – 5 November 1857)Christopher F. Lindsey, 'Davy, Edmund (1785–1857)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200 accessed 6 April 2008/ref> was a professor of chemi ...

* Warren De la Rue * Thomas Everitt * William Ferguson * George Fownes * A Frampton * J P Gassiot * Thomas Gill

* Thomas Graham * John Graham * John Joseph Griffin * Thomas Griffiths *

William Robert Grove Sir William Robert Grove, FRS FRSE (11 July 1811 – 1 August 1896) was a Welsh judge and physical scientist. He anticipated the general theory of the conservation of energy, and was a pioneer of fuel cell technology. He invented the Grove vol ...

* Charles Heisch * Henry Hennell * Thomas Hetherington Henry * William Herapath * Thomas Charles Hope * F R Hughes * Percival Johnson * James Johnston * W B Leeson * George Dixon Longstaff * George Lowe * Robert Macgregor *

Charles Macintosh Charles Macintosh FRS (29 December 1766 – 25 July 1843) was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat (the variant spelling is now standard) is named after him. Biography Macintosh was ...

* John Mercer * William Hallowes Miller * Thomas Moody * David Mushet * J A Paris * H L Pattinson * Thomas Pearsall * Frederic Penny

* William Haseldine Pepys * Richard Phillips * Lyon Playfair * Robert Porrett * L H Potts * G Owen Rees * David Boswell Reid * Thomas Richardson * Maurice Scanlan * Ollive Sims * Denham Smith * Edward Solly Jnr *

John Stenhouse John Stenhouse FRS FRSE FIC FCS (21 October 1809 – 31 December 1880) was a British chemist. In 1854, he invented one of the first practical respirators. He was a co-founder of the Chemical Society in 1841. Life John Stenhouse was born i ...

* Richard Taylor * John Tennent * E F Teschemacher * Thomas Thomson * Robert Dundas Thomson * Wilton George Turner * Robert Warington * William West * James Low Wheeler * George Wilson * John Wilson * Philip Yorke

References