2 Biographical Account of [Juty, 
Mr. Tennant was born on the 30th of Nov. 1761. His mother, 
whose maiden name was Mary Daunt, was the daughter of a surgeon 
of the same town. 
Of his father little is known, except that he had been a Fellow of 
St. John’s College, Cambridge, aud was’a friend of Dr. Ruther- 
forth, Regius Professor of Divinity in that University. He was 
spoken of by his son with the most affectionate gratitude for the 
care he had bestowed on his education. To this he appears to have 
devoted himself from his son’s earliest infancy; since he began to 
instruct him m Greek when he was only five years of age. 
He had the misfortune to lose his father when he was about nine 
years old; and some years afterwards, shortly before he attained the 
age of manhood, was deprived also of his mother, by a very me- 
lancholy accident. She was thrown from her horse, whilst riding 
with her son, and killed on the spot. 
Mr. Tennant’s education subsequently to his father’s death was 
irregular, and apparently somewhat neglected. He was sent suc- 
cessively to different schools in Yorkshire, at Scorton, ‘Tadcaster, 
and Beverley. He is described by one who recollects him at the 
first of these places as being of a grave and pensive cast, with the 
appearance of being indolent and dispirited, and rarely joining in 
the amusements of the rest of the boys. Being an only child, and 
under little restraint when with his mother, he appears to have left 
home with singular reluctance, and to have had little enjoyment 
while at school. There is reason indeed to believe that he looked 
back upon this period with no agreeable recollections, since he very 
seldom alluded to the events of his early life; and it is in the re- 
collection of the writer of this narrative that, on reading Mr. 
Gibbon’s Memoirs, he entirely concurred in the protest which the 
historian has entered against the “ trite and lavish praise of the 
happiness of our boyish years.” 
His talents were not suspected, and, if they had been known, 
would scarcely perhaps have been understood, by those concerned 
with his education. He appears, indeed, to have been little in- 
debted for the eminence which he afterwards obtained, to any of 
his various instructors, and may be considered in a great measure as 
self-educated. ‘this is perhaps more or less true of every person of 
distinguished talents or vigorous understanding. ‘Fhat it was in a 
remarkable degree the case of Mr. Tennant, will be evident trom 
the few anecdotes, which are now recollected, of his early life. 
_ He gave many proofs, while very young, of a particular turn for ’ 
ehemistry and natural philosophy, both by reading all books of that 
description which fell accidentally in his way, and making various 
little experiments which the perusal of such books suggested. His 
first experiment (as he has himself related) was made at nine years 
of age, when he prepared a quantity of gunpowder for fire-works 
according to directions contained in the Encyclopedia, or some 
other scientific book to which he had access, 
During the time he was at school at Tadcaster, he happened to 
