John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh.

  • Robert Strutt, 4th Baron Rayleigh
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/434 (page 14)
    It was there, I think, that a prank of some ingenuity was played. It consisted in blowing air into the gas pipes. This would be done a few minutes before prayer time, in an adjoin¬ ing room. The air would gradually diffuse back from the branch pipe into the main, with the result that the light would go out during prayers : the beauty of the device was that it provided the mischief-makers with an apparently satisfactory alibi. This was a valuable feature, as Mr. Murray was a severe disciplinarian. I was never told explicitly who was the author of this idea, and I believe it was practised at other schools about that time. However it certainly has a scientific aspect. The following, undated, must have been written in 1856, when the trial of Palmer, the Rugeley poisoner, took place. The writer was then thirteen years old. Wimbledon, Saturday. It has been a showery day. The fellows all around me are talking about and discussing history. They have got up a history debating society upon such questions as Elizabeth was a good or a bad queen and such like; I have refused to be a member of it, but I believe the fellows are trying to get up a scientific debating society of which I intend to be a member on such subjects as Astronomy, Electricity, and such as that. Old Neale the master we say our Latin to and who is very old told me (he lives close to Rugely) that when he was lodging at Rugely at the house of the sister-in-law of George Bates (the fellow Palmer is supposed to have poisoned and who was a sort of Jack of all trades to whom W. Palmer owed 20£) she told him that Palmer offered to lend Bates 200£ on condition that he would allow him to insure his life. Bates wrote to his brother in law whether he should except [sic] the offer or not who happened to be away from Rugely at the time his brother in law wrote back to him to tell not to do anything till he came back and when he had come back he told him by no means to except it and if he did that he would be dead in two or 3 months which took place. Palmer named 1 of his horses “ Golfinder ” and another “ Strichnine ” which seems to imply that strichnine was his goldfinder which he tried to fulfill. We have done with Trigonomitry [sic] and have begun statics which treats on forces. I remain your affectionate son J. W. Strutt.