56 



CHARLES HATCHETT, F.R.S. 



Born January 2, 1765. Died March 10, 1847. 



Charles Hatchett was born at a house in Long Acre, where his 

 father carried on the business of a coachmaker. He was sent to a 

 school known by the name of Fountayne's, situated in what was 

 formerly called Maryleboue Park. On leaving school, Mr. Hatchett 

 continued to live for some time with his father, purposing to follow 

 the same business ; he, however, never took kindly to it, but spent 

 the chief part of his time in perusing books of science, or in attend- 

 ing lectures on scientific subjects; and his father, perceiving the 

 bent of his inclination, made him a handsome allowance, to enable 

 him to prosecute his studies. 



An amusing story is told by the Rev. Mr. Lockwood, Rector of 

 Kingham, who was an intimate friend of Mr. Hatchett's, that one 

 day he remembered asking Hatchett what first led him to turn his 

 attention to the study of chemistry ; he replied, that he believed it 

 was his love for raspberry-jam ; for, when quite a boy, he used to 

 accompany his mother to the storeroom, and on one occasion, while 

 as usual entreating for some jam, she locked the door, and putting 

 the key in her pocket, told him he might now get as much as he 

 could. This somewhat nettled the lad, and setting his wits to work, 

 he remembered having read of the power of certain acids to dissolve 

 metals. Young Hatchett accordingly purchased what he thought 

 would suit his purpose, and applying it to the lock of the cupboard, 

 gained an entrance,, and carried off in triumph the pot of jam. 



On the 24th of March, 1786, when just one-and-twenty, Mr. 

 Hatchett married the only daughter of Mr. John Collick, of Saint 

 Martin's Lane, and shortly afterwards, in company with his wife, 

 visited Russia and Poland, where they remained for nearly two 

 years. On returning to England, Mr. Hatchett established himself 

 in a house at Hammersmith, which he fitted with an excellent 

 laboratory, so as to be able to pursue his chemical studies. On the 

 9th of March, 1807, he was elected into the Royal Society, his first 

 paper having appeared in their l Transactions ' in 1796 ; it was 

 entitled, * An Analysis of the Carinthian Molybdate of Lead, with 

 Experiments on the Molybdic Acid; to which are added, some 

 Experiments and Observations on the Decomposition of the Sulphate 

 of Ammonia.' This paper was followed by fifteen others, on 

 various subjects, exhibiting the extent and research of his chemical 

 investigations. In one of these, published in 1802, and entitled an 

 * Analysis of a Mineral Substance from North America, containing a 

 metal unknown,' Mr. Hatchett gives an account of his discovery of 

 the metal Columbium. 



During the later portion of his life, Mr. Hatchett was often called 



