Frederick Field (chemist)
Encyclopedia
Frederick Field was an English
chemist
, born in Lambeth
on 2 August 1826. He was the second son, by his second wife, of Charles Field, of the firm of J. C. & J. Field, candle
manufacturers, etc. Educated at Denmark Hill
grammar school
and at Mr. Long's school at Stockwell
(where he was a schoolfellow of Professor Odling
), Field showed so strong a liking for chemistry
that, on leaving school in 1843, he was placed in the laboratory
of the Polytechnic Institution, then conducted by Dr. Ryan. On leaving the Polytechnic, Field entered into partnership with a chemist named Mitchell as an assayer
and consulting chemist, but finding the need of further training spent some time as a student under Dr. Hoffmann in the Royal College of Chemistry
in Oxford Street
.
Field was one of the original members of the Chemical Society of London, started in 1846, and he read his first paper to that society in the following year.
in Chile
. Some account of his work there is contained in his papers in the ‘Journal of the Chemical Society
’ for 1850, ‘On the Examination of some Slags from Copper-smelting Furnaces,’ and ‘On the Ashes of the Cactus-plant,’ from which large quantities of carbonate of soda
were obtained. In 1851 Field described a natural alloy
of silver
and copper
, which had the appearance of nearly pure silver, and also discovered that a certain ore
which occurred in large quantities near Coquimbo was in reality pure lapis lazuli
, the first found in South America
.
In 1852 Field was appointed manager of his company's works at Caldera
, a new port
to the north of Coquimbo. Before assuming this position he visited England and married a sister of (Sir) Frederick Abel, returning to Caldera in 1853, of which he was now appointed vice consul
. The post involved many responsibilities in a land subject to revolution
s. During the Russian War, Field also acted as the representative of France
in that district.
In 1856 Field became chemist and sub-manager to the smelting works then established by Señor Urmeneta at Guayacan, which have since become one of the largest copper-smelting works in the world. In 1859 a revolution broke out in Chile. Field sent his wife and family to England, but himself remained and succeeded in preserving the establishment from injury.
. In the same year he was appointed chemist to the aniline
colour works of Simpson, Maule, & Nicholson, a post which he held till 1866, when he became a partner in the old firm of his family - Messrs. J. C. & J. Field - in which he remained and of which he was senior partner at the time of his death.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, born in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
on 2 August 1826. He was the second son, by his second wife, of Charles Field, of the firm of J. C. & J. Field, candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
manufacturers, etc. Educated at Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and at Mr. Long's school at Stockwell
Stockwell
Stockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
(where he was a schoolfellow of Professor Odling
William Odling
William Odling, FRS was an English chemist who contributed to the development of the periodic table....
), Field showed so strong a liking for chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
that, on leaving school in 1843, he was placed in the laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
of the Polytechnic Institution, then conducted by Dr. Ryan. On leaving the Polytechnic, Field entered into partnership with a chemist named Mitchell as an assayer
Assayer
An assayer is a person who tests ores and minerals and analyzes them to determine their composition and value. They may use spectrographic analysis, chemical solutions, and chemical or laboratory equipment, such as furnaces, beakers, graduates, pipettes, and crucibles.An assayer separates metals...
and consulting chemist, but finding the need of further training spent some time as a student under Dr. Hoffmann in the Royal College of Chemistry
Royal College of Chemistry
The Royal College of Chemistry was a college originally based on Oxford Street in central London, England. It operated between 1845 and 1872....
in Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
.
Field was one of the original members of the Chemical Society of London, started in 1846, and he read his first paper to that society in the following year.
Work in Chile
In 1848 he accepted the post of chemist to some copper smelting works at CoquimboCoquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Some account of his work there is contained in his papers in the ‘Journal of the Chemical Society
Journal of the Chemical Society
The Journal of the Chemical Society was a scientific journal established by the Chemical Society in 1849 as the Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society. The journal underwent several renamings, splits, and mergers throughout its history. In 1980, the Chemical Society merged with several other...
’ for 1850, ‘On the Examination of some Slags from Copper-smelting Furnaces,’ and ‘On the Ashes of the Cactus-plant,’ from which large quantities of carbonate of soda
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
were obtained. In 1851 Field described a natural alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, which had the appearance of nearly pure silver, and also discovered that a certain ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
which occurred in large quantities near Coquimbo was in reality pure lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color....
, the first found in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
In 1852 Field was appointed manager of his company's works at Caldera
Caldera, Chile
Caldera is a port city in the Copiapó Province of the Atacama Region in northern Chile. It has an excellent harbor, protected by breakwaters, being the port city for the productive mining district centering on Copiapó to which it is connected by the first railroad constructed in Chile.-Geography...
, a new port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
to the north of Coquimbo. Before assuming this position he visited England and married a sister of (Sir) Frederick Abel, returning to Caldera in 1853, of which he was now appointed vice consul
Vice Consul
A vice consul is a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consulate....
. The post involved many responsibilities in a land subject to revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
s. During the Russian War, Field also acted as the representative of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in that district.
In 1856 Field became chemist and sub-manager to the smelting works then established by Señor Urmeneta at Guayacan, which have since become one of the largest copper-smelting works in the world. In 1859 a revolution broke out in Chile. Field sent his wife and family to England, but himself remained and succeeded in preserving the establishment from injury.
Return to England
In September 1859 he finally quitted Chile for England. Soon after his arrival in London he was appointed lecturer on chemistry to St. Mary's Hospital (1860), and in 1862 became professor of chemistry in the London InstitutionLondon Institution
The London Institution was an educational institution founded in London in 1806...
. In the same year he was appointed chemist to the aniline
Aniline
Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the prototypical aromatic amine. Being a precursor to many industrial chemicals, its main use is in the manufacture of precursors to polyurethane...
colour works of Simpson, Maule, & Nicholson, a post which he held till 1866, when he became a partner in the old firm of his family - Messrs. J. C. & J. Field - in which he remained and of which he was senior partner at the time of his death.
Writings
Field wrote forty-three papers on scientific subjects for various periodicals, in addition to one written in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Sir F. A. Abel. Among them are:- ‘On the Solvent Power exercised by Hyposulphite of Soda on many Salts insoluble in Water’ (‘Journ. Chem. Soc.’ 1863);
- ‘On the Solubility of the Halogen Salts of Silver in certain Solutions’ (‘Chemical News,’ 1861);
- ‘On the Existence of Silver in Sea-water’ (‘Proc. of the Royal Soc.’ vol. viii. 1856–7);
- ‘Artificial Formation of Atacamite’ (‘Revue Universelle,’ 1859);
- on ‘Ludlamite, a new Mineral;’ and on ‘The General Distribution of Bismuth in Copper Minerals’ (‘Journ. Chem. Soc.’ 1862).