- Edward William Brayley
Edward William Brayley FRS (1801 –
February 1 ,1870 ) was an Englishgeographer ,librarian , andscience author .Early life
He was born in
London , the son ofEdward Wedlake Brayley , a notableantiquary and his wife Anne ("c." 1771-1850). His early schooling, in the company of his brothers Henry and Horatio was private and sheltered. His upbringing was austere with little contact with other children or the world outside his home. He later studied at theLondon Institution and theRoyal Institution underWilliam Thomas Brande .Hays (2004)]Brayley abandoned an early inclination to follow his father's interests [Brayley (1825)] for science. He published on diverse topics in several
scientific journal s including the "Philosophical Magazine ", for which he became an editorial assistant between 1823 and 1844. In 1829 and 1830, Brayley was employed by Rowland Hill to lecture on thephysical science s at his schools as Hazelwood,Edgbaston ,Birmingham and Bruce Castle,Tottenham ,London .Librarian and lecturer
In 1834, he became
librarian of the London Institution and in 1865 professor ofphysical geography . He lectured there on diverse subjects and also at theRoyal Institution , the London Mechanics' Institute, and the Belgrave, Russell, andMarylebone Institution s. As a staff member of the London Institution he was often called on at the last minute to substitute for an indisposed lecturer and his talks included:
*Meteor s andmeteorology ;
*Mineralogy ;
*Physical geography;
*Peat ;
*"Metalliferous deposits";
*"Recenteclipse s;
*"Lord Rosse's telescopes";
*"Hall's condensing apparatus";
*The remains atPompeii ; and
*Photogenic drawing.Editor
Most of his scientific work involved the analysis and synthesis of the published ideas of others. Brayley worked on the publication of Samuel Parkes's "Chemical Catechism" (1834) and contributed many biographical and scientific articles to the "
English Cyclopaedia ". Brayley was a close collaborator and friend ofWilliam Robert Grove and notably worked with him on the publication of Groves's seminal book on theconservation of energy , "On the Correlation of Physical Forces" (1846). He also assisted in the editing ofLuke Howard 's "Barometrographia" (1847).Personality and death
Though he is known to have married, nothing is known of his wife. Bayley died of
heart disease at his home inIslington ,London .Offices and honours
*Founder member of the
Zoological Society ;
*Founder member of theChemical Society ;
*Corresponding member of the "Societas Naturae Scrutatorum " atBasel ;
*Member of theAmerican Philosophical Society ;
*Member of theBritish Meteorological Society , (1850);
*Fellow of the Royal Society , (1854);
*Thelunar crater Brayley is named for him. [cite book | author=Cocks, E. E. & Cocks, J. C. | year=1995 | title=Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature | publisher=Tudor Publishers | id=ISBN 0-936389-27-3 ]References
Bibliography
* "The 1850 and 1851 Membership Lists of the British Meteorological Society"----
* cite book | title=Ancient Castles of England and Wales | edition=2 vols | year=1825 | author=Brayley, E. W.
* cite book | title=The Utility of the Knowledge of Nature Considered; with Reference to the General Education of Youth | year=1831 | publisher=Baldwin & Cradock | location=London | author=—
*Hays, J. N. (2004) " [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3303 Brayley, Edward William (1801/2–1870)] ", "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ", Oxford University Press, accessed 8 Aug 2007 (subscription required)
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