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the working classes, and the improvement of the dwellings of the poor ; 

 and, at one time, spent much time and money in furtherance of such ob- 

 jects and purposes. He was vigorous and lively in both his professional 

 lectures and his more popular " lecturettes," as he himself preferred to 

 call them. His neighbours and friends at Wimbledon, where he latterly 

 resided, fully appreciated his excellent public and social qualities. The 

 date of his election into the Royal Society is March 10, 1842. 



Robert "Warington was born on the 7th of September, 1807, at 

 Sheerness, where his father, Thomas Warington, who was a victualler of 

 ships, then resided. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, and, 

 being intended for a land-surveyor, he was, on leaving school, set to learn 

 that business, but, after a few months, abandoned it in favour of chemistry, 

 which he studied as the house pupil, and subsequently, in 1822, the arti- 

 cled apprentice of Mr. J. T. Cooper, then a well-known lecturer and ma- 

 nufacturing chemist. 



On the opening of the London University (now University College) in 

 1828, Mr. Warington, having served his time with Mr. Cooper, was 

 chosen by the Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Edward Turner, to be his 

 assistant. In that capacity he continued at the College for three years, 

 during which period he communicated to the Philosophical Magazine his 

 first published research, entitled Examination of a Native Sulpliuret of 

 Bismuth." 



In 1831, Messrs. Truman, Hanbury and Buxton, desiring the services 

 of an able young chemist in their great brewing establishment, engaged 

 Mr. Warington, on the recommendation of Dr. Turner, and with them he 

 remained till 1839. His connexion with the brewery did not prevent his 

 independent pursuit of chemistry, and during this period he contributed 

 papers to the Philosophical Magazine, " On the Establishment of a 

 System of Chemical Symbols" (Sept. 1832), and "On the Action of 

 Chromic Acid upon Silver" (Dec. 1837). 



On the death of Mr. Hennell in 1842, Mr. Warington was appointed 

 Chemical Operator to the Society of Apothecaries, a position he con- 

 tinued to hold till about a year before his death. His professional 

 engagements now became numerous, and he was much employed as a 

 scientific witness or adviser in important cases coming before the Courts 

 of Law. 



Mr. Warington's scientific activity manifested itself in various ways. 

 In 1841 he took an important part in the establishment of the Chemical 

 Society, and became one of the original Secretaries, which post he held 

 for ten years. He was one of the promoters of the Royal College of Che- 

 mistry ; and he took part in the formation of the Cavendish Society, and 

 held the ofiice of Secretary for three years. He was Chemical Referee of 

 four of the principal gas companies of the metropolis. He served as Juror 

 in the Chemical Section of the International Exhibition of 1862, and was 



YOL. XTI. e 



