John Mercer (21 February 1791 – 30 November 1866) was an English dye and fabric

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and fabric printer born in

Great Harwood Great Harwood is a town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, located north east of Blackburn and adjacent to the Ribble Valley. Great Harwood is part of the "Three Towns" conurbation along with the towns of Clayton-le-Moors and Ris ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

. In 1844 he developed a process for treating

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

mercerisation Mercerisation is a textile finishing treatment for cellulose fabric and yarn, mainly cotton and flax, which improves dye uptake and tear strength, reduces fabric shrinkage, and imparts a silk-like luster. Development The process was devi ...

, that improves many of its qualities for use in fabrics.

Biography

John Mercer never went to school; he learned basic reading and writing from his neighbour. He was very fond of dyeing and experimented to find new methods. With the help of a textbook he taught himself the chemistry of dyes. In 1817, he discovered Antimony orange, the first good orange pigment available for cotton-fabric printing. He developed the

process in 1844, and was admitted to the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, the Philosophical Society and the

Chemical Society The Chemical Society was a scientific society 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. ...

. He was elected to membership of the

Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, popularly known as the Lit. & Phil., is one of the oldest learned societies in the United Kingdom and second oldest provincial learned society (after the Spalding Gentlemen's Society). Promi ...

on 17 April 1849. Mercer pioneered research into

antimicrobial An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic agent). Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they are used to treat. For example, antibiotics are used aga ...

s, preventing the spread of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

in Sykeside(now part of

Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore) had a population of 15,9 ...

) in 1847 with

chloride of lime Calcium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound with chemical formula , also written as . It is a white solid, although commercial samples appear yellow. It strongly smells of chlorine, owing to its slow decomposition in moist air. This compound is ...

, or "calcium hypochlorite", which is today used to disinfect public swimming pools and drinking water. In 1814, he married Mary Wolstenholme; together they had six children. His wife died in 1859 and he afterwards became a juror to the second

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...

in 1862, and a justice of the peace in Lancashire, continuing to give lectures at

Clayton-le-Moors Clayton-le-Moors is an industrial town in the Borough of Hyndburn in the county of Lancashire, England. located two miles north of Accrington. The town has a population of 8,522 according to the 2011 census. To the west lies Rishton, to the n ...

and supporting local

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

churches. The 1861 census records him as a 70-year-old "Chymist", living with his son John and 12 others at 29 Burlington Hotel, London (

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...

was next door, at No. 30). Mercer died at home on 30 November 1866, aged 75, and was buried in

St Bartholomew's Church, Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Church is in the town of Great Harwood in Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* L ...

. Funds for his commemoration were provided by his daughter Maria, and a clock tower was unveiled in

in 1903, as well as the Mercer Hall. Mercer's cottage at Oakenshaw, Clayton-le-Moors was donated to be a museum and park.

References

External links

Biography and pictures about John Mercer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, John 1791 births 1866 deaths People from Great Harwood Fellows of the Royal Society English chemists English printers Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society 19th-century English businesspeople English people of Scottish descent

Biography

References

Further reading

External links