Charles Fox (scientist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Fox a Quaker scientist, developed Trebah
Garden, near Mawnan Smith
in Cornwall
. He was a member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth
.
He was the son of Robert Were Fox the Elder
and Elizabeth Tregelles, his wife. He was born on 22 December 1797. He was the younger brother of Robert Were Fox F.R.S.
.
Fox was a partner in the family shipping brokerage, at Falmouth
and General Manager of the Perran Iron Foundry at Perranarworthal
from 1825, handing over the post to his nephew Barclay Fox
around 1842 He was also active in various other family business enterprises, including copper mining and smelting in Cornwall and South Wales
.
The Fox family played a large part in the establishment of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
at Falmouth. Charles Fox was its President in 1871–72. In 1841, in connection with the society, he founded the Lander prizes for maps and essays on geographical districts.
With Robert Hunt
, Charles Fox helped to found in 1859 the Miners' Association of Cornwall and Devon
. He was president of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
in 1863–67. He contributed a number of articles on diverse topics to learned and scientific journals
He was one of the projectors and founders of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society at Falmouth in 1833, and, in conjunction with Sir Charles Lemon, led the way to a movement which resulted in the offer of a premium of £100. for the introduction of a man-engine
into Cornish mines, the result of which was the erection of the first man-engine at Tresavean mine in 1842. This machine was a great success, and its invention has been the means of saving much unnecessary labour to the tin and copper miners in ascending and descending the mine shafts. He was president of the Polytechnic Society for 1871 and 1872, in connection with which institution he founded in 1841 the Lander prizes for maps and essays on geographical districts. He was president of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
from 1864 to 1867, and president of the Miners' Association of Cornwall and Devon from 1861 to 1863. He interested himself particularly in such discoveries, philological and antiquarian, as tended to throw light on Bible history, and with this object in view he visited Palestine, Egypt, and Algiers. In all branches of natural history he was deeply read, making collections and examining with the microscope the specimens illustrative of each department.
On the introduction of boring machines into mines he was one of the first to recognise their use, and as early as 1867 he wrote papers on this subject. He made many communications to the three Cornish societies, as well as to the Mining Journal and Hardwicke's Science Gossip. Extracts from the Spiritual Diary of John Rutty
, M.D., was edited by Fox in 1840, and in 1870 he wrote a small work, On the Ministry of Women. He was largely interested in Cornish mines throughout his life, and latterly was much impoverished by the failure of the greater number of these undertakings. For the last twenty-five years of his life he resided at Trebah, near Falmouth, and died there 18 April 1878, and was buried in the Friends' cemetery at Budock 23 April.
He married, 20 Dec. 1825, Sarah, only daughter of William Hustler. She was born at Apple Hall, Bradford, Yorkshire, 8 Aug. 1800, and died at Trebah 19 Feb. 1882. Her writings were: A Metrical Version of the Book of Job, 1852–4; Poems, Original and Translated, 1863; Catch who can, or Hide and Seek, Original Double Acrostic
s, 1869; and "The Matterhorn Sacrifice, a Poem", in Macmillan's Magazine, 1865. Their daughter Juliet married Edmund Backhouse
, who was MP for Darlington and a wealthy banker. Another daughter died in childhood.
in May 1871 to deal with the outbreak of "modern thought" in Manchester
Quaker Meeting.. The Committee arranged for the disownment of David Duncan, the outspoken leader of the Manchester dissidents and published a "Declaration of some fundamental principles of Christian Truth", which was, however, rejected by Yearly Meeting 1872. The Declaration was an antecedent of the Richmond Declaration
.
He shared with other Quakers an interest in Prison Reform. To this end, he visited prisons in France, Germany and Switzerland. He was an advocate of temperance. He visited Palestine in 1855.
Trebah
Trebah is a sub-tropical garden situated in Cornwall near Glendurgan Garden and above the Helford River .-History of Trebah:In 1831 Trebah was acquired by the Fox family who built Glendurgan Garden. Trebah was first laid out as a pleasure garden by Charles Fox, a Quaker polymath of enormous...
Garden, near Mawnan Smith
Mawnan Smith
Mawnan Smith is a village in the civil parish of Mawnan in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately three miles south of Falmouth.The parish church of St Mawnan & St Stephen is in Mawnan village...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He was a member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth
Fox family of Falmouth
The Fox family of Falmouth, Cornwall, UK were very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth in the 19th century and of the Cornish Industrial Revolution...
.
He was the son of Robert Were Fox the Elder
Robert Were Fox the Elder
Robert Were Fox was a Quaker businessman who lived in Falmouth.- Life and work :Fox was born in Fowey, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, and married Elizabeth Tregelles in 1788. The couple had six sons, including Charles Fox of Trebah, Robert Were Fox FRS of Penjerrick Garden and Alfred Fox of...
and Elizabeth Tregelles, his wife. He was born on 22 December 1797. He was the younger brother of Robert Were Fox F.R.S.
Robert Were Fox the Younger
Robert Were Fox FRS was a British geologist, natural philosopher and inventor. He is known mainly for his work on the temperature of the earth and his construction of a compass to measure magnetic dip at sea....
.
Fox was a partner in the family shipping brokerage, at Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
and General Manager of the Perran Iron Foundry at Perranarworthal
Perranarworthal
Perranarworthal is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately four miles northwest of Falmouth and five miles southwest of Truro....
from 1825, handing over the post to his nephew Barclay Fox
Barclay Fox
Robert Barclay Fox was a businessman, gardener and diarist, a member of the influential Quaker Fox family of Falmouth.-Family relationships:...
around 1842 He was also active in various other family business enterprises, including copper mining and smelting in Cornwall and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
The Fox family played a large part in the establishment of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promote innovation in the arts and sciences...
at Falmouth. Charles Fox was its President in 1871–72. In 1841, in connection with the society, he founded the Lander prizes for maps and essays on geographical districts.
With Robert Hunt
Robert Hunt (scientist)
Robert Hunt , a scientist and antiquarian, was born at Devonport, Plymouth, in the United Kingdom. He was involved in statistical, mineralogical and other studies. He died in London on 17 October 1887.-Early life:...
, Charles Fox helped to found in 1859 the Miners' Association of Cornwall and Devon
The Miners Association
The Miners Association was founded in 1858 by Robert Hunt FRS, and the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society.The Association was formed to create a body that would discuss, develop, address the needs and represent the hard rock mining industry within the south west region of the United...
. He was president of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world....
in 1863–67. He contributed a number of articles on diverse topics to learned and scientific journals
Life
Fox, seventh son of Robert Were Fox, by Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Tregelles of Falmouth, and younger brother of Robert Were Fox, F.R.S., was born at Falmouth 22 Dec. 1797, and educated at home. He became a partner in the firm of G. C. and R. W. Fox & Co., merchants and shipping agents at Falmouth, and was also a partner in the Perran Foundry Company at Perranarworthal, Cornwall, where from 1824 to 1847 he was the manager of the foundry and the engine manufactory.He was one of the projectors and founders of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society at Falmouth in 1833, and, in conjunction with Sir Charles Lemon, led the way to a movement which resulted in the offer of a premium of £100. for the introduction of a man-engine
Man engine
A man engine is a mechanism of reciprocating ladders and stationary platforms installed in mines to assist the miners’ journeys to and from the working levels...
into Cornish mines, the result of which was the erection of the first man-engine at Tresavean mine in 1842. This machine was a great success, and its invention has been the means of saving much unnecessary labour to the tin and copper miners in ascending and descending the mine shafts. He was president of the Polytechnic Society for 1871 and 1872, in connection with which institution he founded in 1841 the Lander prizes for maps and essays on geographical districts. He was president of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world....
from 1864 to 1867, and president of the Miners' Association of Cornwall and Devon from 1861 to 1863. He interested himself particularly in such discoveries, philological and antiquarian, as tended to throw light on Bible history, and with this object in view he visited Palestine, Egypt, and Algiers. In all branches of natural history he was deeply read, making collections and examining with the microscope the specimens illustrative of each department.
On the introduction of boring machines into mines he was one of the first to recognise their use, and as early as 1867 he wrote papers on this subject. He made many communications to the three Cornish societies, as well as to the Mining Journal and Hardwicke's Science Gossip. Extracts from the Spiritual Diary of John Rutty
John Rutty
John Rutty was a Dublin Quaker physician and naturalist born in Melksham. He was the author of many texts including A methodical synopsis of the Mineral Waters of Ireland and An Essay towards the Natural History of the County of Dublin...
, M.D., was edited by Fox in 1840, and in 1870 he wrote a small work, On the Ministry of Women. He was largely interested in Cornish mines throughout his life, and latterly was much impoverished by the failure of the greater number of these undertakings. For the last twenty-five years of his life he resided at Trebah, near Falmouth, and died there 18 April 1878, and was buried in the Friends' cemetery at Budock 23 April.
He married, 20 Dec. 1825, Sarah, only daughter of William Hustler. She was born at Apple Hall, Bradford, Yorkshire, 8 Aug. 1800, and died at Trebah 19 Feb. 1882. Her writings were: A Metrical Version of the Book of Job, 1852–4; Poems, Original and Translated, 1863; Catch who can, or Hide and Seek, Original Double Acrostic
Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous...
s, 1869; and "The Matterhorn Sacrifice, a Poem", in Macmillan's Magazine, 1865. Their daughter Juliet married Edmund Backhouse
Edmund Backhouse (MP)
Edmund Backhouse , banker, J.P. on the County Durham and for the North Riding of Yorkshire benches. He was Member of Parliament for Darlington.-Family:...
, who was MP for Darlington and a wealthy banker. Another daughter died in childhood.
Quaker faith
His generation and the next of the Fox family were active in the Religious Society of Friends, regularly attending Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly Meetings. Charles Fox was one of the Committee appointed by London Yearly MeetingBritain Yearly Meeting
The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, also known as Britain Yearly Meeting , is a religious organisation in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, often defined as a denomination of Christianity.It is a part of the international religious...
in May 1871 to deal with the outbreak of "modern thought" in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Quaker Meeting.. The Committee arranged for the disownment of David Duncan, the outspoken leader of the Manchester dissidents and published a "Declaration of some fundamental principles of Christian Truth", which was, however, rejected by Yearly Meeting 1872. The Declaration was an antecedent of the Richmond Declaration
Richmond Declaration
The Richmond Declaration was made by 95 Quakers in September 1887, at a conference in Richmond, Indiana...
.
He shared with other Quakers an interest in Prison Reform. To this end, he visited prisons in France, Germany and Switzerland. He was an advocate of temperance. He visited Palestine in 1855.