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Donald Nicoll (25 April 1820 – 6 September 1891) was a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
and
Radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...
politician, businessman, inventor and author.


Inventions

Born in 1820, Nicoll started his career in trade, becoming the owner of sanitary works, as well as an inventor and maker of patented appliances for the interception and deodorization of sewage, and the filtration of water. Further, he developed improvements to fire escapes, fog signals for vessels, and electric and telegraph conductors. In 1872, and in conjunction with Robert Sabine, ten miles of underground telegraph conductors were laid on a system he had secured a patent for. At the time of his death in 1891, he was also involved in bringing out a patent for paving roadways with hard Australian jarrah-wood, which he predicted to be cheap, clean and safe for horses.


Political career

Nicoll first stood for election was a Radical candidate at
Frome Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills and on the River Frome, south of Bath. The population of the parish was 28,559 in 2021. Frome was one of the largest tow ...
at a by-election in 1854—caused by the death of the sitting Whig
Robert Edward Boyle Robert Edward Boyle (March 1809 – 3 September 1854) was a British soldier and Liberal Party politician. Boyle was the fourth son of Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork, and his wife Isabella Henrietta (née Poyntz). He served with the Coldstream Gua ...
. However, Nicoll was defeated by Boyle's son and the Whig candidate,
Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
, by 52 votes. At another by-election in 1856—caused by the succession of Richard Boyle to 9th
Earl of Cork Earl of Cork is a title in the Peerage of Ireland, held in conjunction with the Earldom of Orrery since 1753. It was created in 1620 for Richard Boyle, 1st Baron Boyle. He had already been created Lord Boyle, Baron of Youghal, in the County ...
and Orrery—Nicoll sought the seat once more. He was this time defeated by Boyle's younger brother, William George Boyle, a Whig candidate, by just one vote. However, at the next general election in 1857, Nicoll successfully gained the seat, defeating Boyle and the Conservative candidate, Edward Thynne, with a majority of 70 votes, or 21.5%. However, standing as a Liberal in 1859, Nicoll was unseated by Thynne with a 34.8% swing against the Liberals.


Works

Nicoll was also the author of a number of books and pamphlets, including: * ''Health and its Appliances'' (1884) * ''Underground versus Overhead Wires'' (1887) * ''The Telegraph and Telephone, considered in relation to Economy and Efficiency'' (1887)


Other activities

Nicoll was involved in numerous areas of public life, and he was awarded for being so. He was the
Sheriff of London and Middlesex A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...
in 1849, and became captain of the 29th North Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1864. He was appointed Commissioner for the City of London to the
1867 Paris Exhibition The of 1867 (), better known in English as the 1867 Paris Exposition, was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 1 April to 3 November 1867. It was the second of ten major expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. A number of nat ...
, receiving a medal and an honourable mention for an exhibit showing the properties of bitumen as an insulating material. The 1872 Moscow Exhibition and 1873 Vienna Exhibition also awarded him medals. He also served as a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and Westminster, chairman of the Poor Law Amendment Society, and a life governor of many London charitable institutions. He was a member of each of the Society of Arts, the Inventors' Institute, the Spectacle-makers' Company, and the united Grand Lodge of Freemasons. In 1884, he was elected an Associate of the Institution.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicoll, Donald UK MPs 1857–1859 1820 births 1891 deaths British inventors English justices of the peace London Regiment officers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Sheriffs of the City of London