John Collis Nesbit
Encyclopedia
John Collis Nesbit was an English agricultural chemist.
, Yorkshire
, the son of Anthony Nesbit, a teacher and land surveyor. Nesbit was educated at home and demonstrated an interest in the sciences and studied under John Dalton
in Manchester
.
, in 1841. Later, he took over the school and turned it into a chemical and agricultural college.
Nesbit started a consulting practice that undertook the commercial analysis of superphosphates and other artificial manures for farmers and manufacturers.
He became a Fellow of the Geological Society of London
and the Chemical Society
in 1845.
Nesbit discovered important phosphate deposits in the Ardennes
in 1855, and wrote about guano fertilizers (The History and Properties of Natural Guanos, 1860) and other naturally-occurring phosphates.
His son was Alfred Antony Nesbit (1854–1894), analytical chemist, and his daughter was Edith Nesbit, writer of popular children's books & co-founder of the Fabian Society
.
Nesbit died at the home of a friend in Barnes, 30 March 1862, and was interred in the catacombs
at West Norwood Cemetery
.
Family life and education
Nesbit was born on 12 July 1818 at BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, the son of Anthony Nesbit, a teacher and land surveyor. Nesbit was educated at home and demonstrated an interest in the sciences and studied under John Dalton
John Dalton
John Dalton FRS was an English chemist, meteorologist and physicist. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of modern atomic theory, and his research into colour blindness .-Early life:John Dalton was born into a Quaker family at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth, Cumberland,...
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...
.
Adult life
Nesbit helped introduce the natural sciences into his father's school in KenningtonKennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
, in 1841. Later, he took over the school and turned it into a chemical and agricultural college.
Nesbit started a consulting practice that undertook the commercial analysis of superphosphates and other artificial manures for farmers and manufacturers.
He became a Fellow of the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
and the Chemical Society
Chemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
in 1845.
Nesbit discovered important phosphate deposits in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
in 1855, and wrote about guano fertilizers (The History and Properties of Natural Guanos, 1860) and other naturally-occurring phosphates.
His son was Alfred Antony Nesbit (1854–1894), analytical chemist, and his daughter was Edith Nesbit, writer of popular children's books & co-founder of the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
.
Nesbit died at the home of a friend in Barnes, 30 March 1862, and was interred in the catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
at West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery is a cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery.One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and...
.