IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0117 MS 821
Held at: Royal Society
Title: Blagden, Sir Charles (1748-1820)
Date(s): [1768-1820]
Level of description: sub-fonds
Extent: 1 box
Name of creator(s): Blagden | Sir | Charles | 1748-1820 | Knight | physician
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Blagden was born at Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and received his M.D. in 1768. He was elected FRS in 1772 and served as a medical officer in the British Army from about 1776 to 1780. He was Henry Cavendish's assistant from 1782 to 1789, from whom he received an annuity and a considerable legacy. Blagden succeeded Paul Henry Maty as Secretary of the Royal Society in 1784 (while the Society was divided over the efficacy of its President, Sir Joseph Banks, a close friend of Blagden's), serving until 1797. Both in this capacity and as Cavendish's assistant he became involved in the prolonged 'water controversy' - who had priority in discovering the composition of water, claimed by both Cavendish and James Watt in England and A L Lavoisier in France. Blagden admitted responsibility for conveying, quite well-meaningly, word of the experiments and conclusions of both Cavendish and Watt to Lavoisier; and he overlooked errors of date in the printing of Cavendish's and Watt's papers. His experiments on the effects of dissolved substances on the freezing point of water led to what became known as 'Blagden's Law', where he concluded that salt lowers the freezing point of water in the simple inverse ratio of the proportion the water bears to it in the solution. In fact Richard Watson had first discovered the relationship in 1771. Blagden spent much of his time in Europe, particularly in France, where he had many friends among French scientists such as C L Berthollet. He died in Arcueil in 1820. He was knighted in 1792.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers relating to Charles Blagden and the Blagden family, comprising assorted letters, including letters from Louis Odier, a series of more than a dozen letters from Daniel de la Roche (a fellow student of medicine at Edinburgh and subsequently editor of the Chirurgie section of the 'Encyclopedie Methodique') letters from Thomas Curtis, including descriptions of visits to the surgeon and antiquary William Barrett, and a note from Joseph Banks. One section of Blagden's diary is also present here comprising of 45 leaves (90 pages) of loose sheets for 1792-1794. There are brief daily notes on visits paid and people he has seen including Joseph Banks, Mr Boswell, Mr Gibbon, Dr Herschel, the Duchess of Devonshire, Mrs Garrick, and many others. The letters and papers of John Blagden Hale include notes on Matthew Hale; books and manuscripts in his possession as well as correspondence.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Conditions governing access:
Open
Conditions governing reproduction:
No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Assembled by James Fairhurst, a descendant of Blagden, and offered to the Royal Society after his death by his executors.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Blagden Papers, reference CB.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Copied from the Royal Society catalogue by Sarah Drewery.
Date(s) of descriptions: Feb 2009.