George Samuel Newth
Encyclopedia
George Samuel Newth was an English chemist
, best known for a series of popular chemistry books.
, England
, Newth was the son of Dr. the Rev Samuel Newth (1821–1898), principal of New College London
, a noted Biblical scholar, non-conformist and mathematician.
Newth's address in 1871 was 25 Clifton Road, Marylebone
when he lived with his parents. He lived with his wife Margaret in Ealing
in 1891 and in 1901 they were living at Lyndhunt (or Lyndhurst) House, 222 Maldon Road, Croydon
, Surrey
.. Newth was also resident in either Godstone or Wallington [at 'The Sheilings'] in Surrey between 1901-1910.
Newth was a student (1869–1871) and demonstrator/lecturer and later examiner in Chemistry at the Royal College of Science
in London (now Imperial College) from 1871 to 1909. He worked with other noted chemists including Edward Frankland
and William A. Tilden
. He was also, in his youth, a keen cyclist and his name and details of a race (in London) from Finchley to Welwyn and back appear in a copy of a US cycle magazine.
A full and interesting account account of this race is recorded in a New Zealand paper :
Newth was also an amateur keeper of honey bees after 1898 and letters from him and a photograph of his bee hives at his home(s) in Wallington and Godstone in Surrey appear in the British Bee Keepers Journal between 1901-1910. Other letters and replies to his communications can be accessed by searching on line .pdf copies of this journal with the term 'newth'.
George Samuel Newth died in Hythe, Kent
, England in 1936. No photographs have yet surfaced of him, although photographs of his father Samuel Newth are known
in 1894.
Chemical Lecture Experiments (one of 5 books by Newth published by Longman, Green & Company of London, England) first appeared in 1892 and is a fascinating collection of chemistry lecture experiments all of which the author had tried for himself. This book is hard to find now outside of libraries. Several books of chemical lecture experiments were subsequently published by other authors. An identically titled work by American chemist Francis Gano Benedict
(1870–1957), was first published in 1901 and acknowledges Newth's book.
The final reprint of Newth's Chemical Lecture Experiments appeared in the late 1920s.
Newth's Inorganic Chemistry (the most popular and remembered of his 5 books) was first published in 1894 although the earliest copy in the British Library is 1896. It was revised and reprinted many times (with author updates to 1923 when Newth was 72), the final version appearing in 1940 four years after Newth had died and 46 years after its first publication in 1894. Old copies can be found for sale quite reasonably priced from internet book suppliers.
Newth also wrote A Manual of Chemical Analysis - Qualitative and Quantitative published in 1898 and Elementary Practical Chemistry first published about 1896 (earliest UK copy seen is 1904) which was for school chemistry classes. This book was titled Elementary Inorganic Chemistry when sold in the USA. Smaller Chemical Analysis published in 1906 was his final book.
Newth's books were reviewed in a number of journals, including Science
and
The Lancet
.
The latter journal in February 1899 mentions that Newth was appointed an examiner in chemistry at the Royal College of Science.
Newth also had a number of scientific papers published (see Bibliography section).
An American chemist, George D. Timmons, had a book called Questions on Newth's Inorganic Chemistry published in 1912.
It has been reported of John D. R. Thomas, past president (1990) of the Royal Society of Chemistry
that his interest in chemistry derived from his father’s 1913 edition of G. S. Newth’s Elementary Practical Chemistry - A Laboratory Manual for Use in Organized Science Schools.
A memoir of Herbert Marcus Powell (1906–1991) mentions a poem he wrote about chemicals ('The Chemists Dream') which included a reference to G S Newth.
Newth's books are well worth buying (or borrowing from local or The British Library) and are a fascinating insight into late Victorian chemistry for schools and colleges and he was in many ways ahead of his time.
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...
, best known for a series of popular chemistry books.
Biography
Born in PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England
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...
, Newth was the son of Dr. the Rev Samuel Newth (1821–1898), principal of New College London
New College London
New College London was founded as a Congregationalist college in 1850.-Predecessor institutions:...
, a noted Biblical scholar, non-conformist and mathematician.
Newth's address in 1871 was 25 Clifton Road, Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
when he lived with his parents. He lived with his wife Margaret in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
in 1891 and in 1901 they were living at Lyndhunt (or Lyndhurst) House, 222 Maldon Road, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.. Newth was also resident in either Godstone or Wallington [at 'The Sheilings'] in Surrey between 1901-1910.
Newth was a student (1869–1871) and demonstrator/lecturer and later examiner in Chemistry at the Royal College of Science
Royal College of Science
The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Alumni include H. G. Wells and Brian May and are distinguishable by the letters ARCS ...
in London (now Imperial College) from 1871 to 1909. He worked with other noted chemists including Edward Frankland
Edward Frankland
Sir Edward Frankland, KCB, FRS was a chemist, one of the foremost of his day. He was an expert in water quality and analysis, and originated the concept of combining power, or valence, in chemistry. He was also one of the originators of organometallic chemistry.-Biography:Edward Frankland was born...
and William A. Tilden
William A. Tilden
Sir William Augustus Tilden was a British chemist. He discovered that isoprene could be made from turpentine. He was unable to turn this discovery into a way to make commercially viable synthetic rubber....
. He was also, in his youth, a keen cyclist and his name and details of a race (in London) from Finchley to Welwyn and back appear in a copy of a US cycle magazine.
A full and interesting account account of this race is recorded in a New Zealand paper :
Newth was also an amateur keeper of honey bees after 1898 and letters from him and a photograph of his bee hives at his home(s) in Wallington and Godstone in Surrey appear in the British Bee Keepers Journal between 1901-1910. Other letters and replies to his communications can be accessed by searching on line .pdf copies of this journal with the term 'newth'.
George Samuel Newth died in Hythe, Kent
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
, England in 1936. No photographs have yet surfaced of him, although photographs of his father Samuel Newth are known
Scientific work
G. S. Newth was the author of a number of popular books in chemistry, most notably Chemical Lecture Experiments [Reviewed in Nature 47, 97-98 (1 December 1892)]and Inorganic Chemistry. He was elected a fellow of the Chemical SocietyChemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
in 1894.
Chemical Lecture Experiments (one of 5 books by Newth published by Longman, Green & Company of London, England) first appeared in 1892 and is a fascinating collection of chemistry lecture experiments all of which the author had tried for himself. This book is hard to find now outside of libraries. Several books of chemical lecture experiments were subsequently published by other authors. An identically titled work by American chemist Francis Gano Benedict
Francis Gano Benedict
Francis Gano Benedict was an American nutritionist who developed a calorimeter and a spirometer used to determine oxygen consumption and measure metabolic rate....
(1870–1957), was first published in 1901 and acknowledges Newth's book.
The final reprint of Newth's Chemical Lecture Experiments appeared in the late 1920s.
Newth's Inorganic Chemistry (the most popular and remembered of his 5 books) was first published in 1894 although the earliest copy in the British Library is 1896. It was revised and reprinted many times (with author updates to 1923 when Newth was 72), the final version appearing in 1940 four years after Newth had died and 46 years after its first publication in 1894. Old copies can be found for sale quite reasonably priced from internet book suppliers.
Newth also wrote A Manual of Chemical Analysis - Qualitative and Quantitative published in 1898 and Elementary Practical Chemistry first published about 1896 (earliest UK copy seen is 1904) which was for school chemistry classes. This book was titled Elementary Inorganic Chemistry when sold in the USA. Smaller Chemical Analysis published in 1906 was his final book.
Newth's books were reviewed in a number of journals, including Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
and
The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
.
The latter journal in February 1899 mentions that Newth was appointed an examiner in chemistry at the Royal College of Science.
Newth also had a number of scientific papers published (see Bibliography section).
An American chemist, George D. Timmons, had a book called Questions on Newth's Inorganic Chemistry published in 1912.
It has been reported of John D. R. Thomas, past president (1990) of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
that his interest in chemistry derived from his father’s 1913 edition of G. S. Newth’s Elementary Practical Chemistry - A Laboratory Manual for Use in Organized Science Schools.
A memoir of Herbert Marcus Powell (1906–1991) mentions a poem he wrote about chemicals ('The Chemists Dream') which included a reference to G S Newth.
Newth's books are well worth buying (or borrowing from local or The British Library) and are a fascinating insight into late Victorian chemistry for schools and colleges and he was in many ways ahead of his time.