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WATSON. 135 



had resigned his duties about the period of the birth of his son 

 Richard. Young Watson received his education at this school, and 

 about a year after his father's death, in 1753, was sent on an exhi- 

 bition of 50/. belonging to the school, to Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 where he was admitted as a sizar on the 3rd of November, 1754. 

 All he had, besides his exhibition, to carry him through college, 

 was a sum of 300/. which his father had left him, but he set bravely 

 to work, to make his way to independence by hard study and hard 

 living ; his dress is said at first to have been a coarse mottled West- 

 moreland coat, and blue yarn stockings. 



In May, 1757, he obtained a scholarship, and in the September 

 following, while still only a junior soph, he began to take pupils, 

 continuing to be employed, first as private, then as a college tutor, 

 until in October, 1767, he became one of the head tutors of Trinity 

 College. Meanwhile Watson had taken his degree of B.A. in 

 January, 1759, being classed as second wrangler, which he seems to 

 have considered, and not without reason, as the place of honour for 

 the year ; the senior wrangler, who was a member of St. John's, 

 having, as it was generally believed, been unfairly preferred to him. 



In October, 1760, he was elected a fellow of his college, and in 

 November, 1764, on the death of Dr. Hadley, he was unanimously 

 elected by the senate to the professorship of chemistry, although at 

 that time he knew nothing of the science. Watson did not, how- 

 ever, disappoint the confidence that was placed by others in hia 

 abilities. With the assistance of an operator, whom he immediately 

 sent for from Paris, and by shutting himself up in his laboratory, ho 

 acquired such an acquaintance with his new subject, as to enable 

 him in about fourteen months to read his first course of lectures, 

 which were honoured with a numerous attendance, and proved 

 highly successful. Other courses followed which were equally well 

 received ; and, in 1768, he printed a synopsis of the principles of the 

 science, under the title of ' Institutiones Metallurgies.' 



Watson was elected a Fellow of the Koyal Society in 1769, and 

 for some years afterwards contributed many chemical papers to the 

 1 Philosophical Transactions.' In 1771 he published ' An Essay on 

 the Subjects of Chemistry, and their General Divisions.' In 1781 he 

 published two volumes 12mo. of 'Chemical Essays;' a third ap- 

 peared in 1782; and a fourth in 1786 completed the work, which 

 has often been reprinted, and was long very popular. In connection 

 with his chemical professorship, Watson obtained from Government, 

 by proper representations, a salary of 100/. for himself, and for all 

 future professors. He also paid some attention to theoretical and 

 practical anatomy, as having a certain relation to the science of 

 chemistry. 



In October, 1771, on the death of Dr. Rutherforth, he unexpectedly 

 obtained the lucrative and important office of Regius Professor of 

 Divinity, and in that capacity, held the Rectory of Somersham in 



