The life of the Hon. Henry Cavendish : including abstracts of his more important scientific papers, and a critical inquiry into the claims of all the alleged discoverers of the composition of water / by George Wilson.

  • George Wilson
Date:
1851
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The life of the Hon. Henry Cavendish : including abstracts of his more important scientific papers, and a critical inquiry into the claims of all the alleged discoverers of the composition of water / by George Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I have obtained a copy of it, as well as of the inscription on Blagden's tomb in Pere la Chaise, which is of some importance in reference to dates. By R. H. Blagden Hale, Esq., also, of Cottles, Melksham, Wiltshire, the nephew and executor of Sir Charles Blagden, I have been favoured with much interesting information. The life of Blagden was destitute of any very remarkable incidents, and his character is of more importance to my present purpose, than his personal career. I have applied, accordingly, to all those who were acquainted with him, to whom I had access, for information as to his reputation in the eyes of his contemporaries. By Robert Brown, Esq., of the British Museum, and Dr. Thomas Thomson, of Glasgow, who were friends of Blagden, I have been most kindly favoured with their judgment regarding him ; and with Mr. W. A. Cadell, who knew him, I have had many conversations concerning his character. Their opinions are given in the sequel. Charles Blagden was born at Wooton under Edge, in Glou- cestershire, in April 1748. The day of his birth I have not learned, but Mr. Blagden Hale informs me that he was baptised on the 19th of the month. He had not the advantage in youth of attending a public school or either of the universities. He acquired, however, a considerable acquaintance with languages, for which he must have been mainly indebted to his own exertions, for he was early educated for the profession of medicine. He practised this, for some time privately, but about 1776, he received a medical appointment in the army, and went to America to do duty with the troops.* He returned tcf this country, as Mr. Blagden Hale informs me, about the latter end of 1779, or He had access to tlie best sources of information. M. F. Delessert writes to me, Sir Charles Blagden etait tres lie avec ma famille, ou il etait refu presque journelle- ment pendant ses s^jours a Paris, et en particulier avec feu mon fr^re, M. Benjamin Delessert. C'estmon frere qui avait recueilli une grande partie des renseignemens qui ont aide a faire la notice redigc'e par M. Jomard, membre del'Institut (encore vivant [1849]), qui avait aussi 6tk lid avec Sir C. Blagden. A memoir of B. Delessert, who was a remarkable man in many ways, appeared in the Journal desD6bats, 1850.' • Jomard refers to Blagden as having been medecinen chef dans les armees, and Mr. R. H. Blagden Hale styles him Physician to the Forces. If I mistake not these titles are applied at the present day, only to the seniov medical officers of the army, who occupy tiie highest posts. So far as I can discover, Blagden's original position was what we should now indicate by saying that he was an army surgeon
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