| Authorised form of name | Canton; John (1718 - 1772); natural philosopher |
| Dates | 1718 - 1772 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Stroud, Gloucestershire, England |
| Date of birth | 31 July 1718 |
| Place of death | London |
| Date of death | 22 March 1772 |
| Research field | Physics |
| Activity | Career;
1738 articled to Samuel Watkins, master of a school in Spital Square London. In 1745 he succeeded Watkins and kept the school himself until his death in 1772. Contributed experiments to Joseph Priestley's 'Histories of Electrical Discoveries', and described by Dr Thomson as 'one of the most successful experimenters in the golden age of electricity'. Verified Benjamin Franklin's hypothesis as to the identity of lightning and electricity, and was the first Englishman to repeat the experiments successfully.
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| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 22/03/1750 |
| RSActivity | Medals and prizes:
Copley Medal 1751 and 1764 |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB
References:
M Yakup Bektas and Maurice Crosland, 'The Copley Medal: the Establishment of a Reward System in the Royal Society, 1731-1839' in NR 1992 vol 46 pp 43-76
Douglas McKie, 'Priestley's Laboratory and Library and Other of his Effects' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 114-136 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/39231370 |
| Code | NA5672 |
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| IM/000299 | Bayes, Thomas | 2001 |
| NLB/3/85 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to George Scharf, National Portrait Gallery Offices, 20 Great George Street | 11 March 1889 |
| MM/1/17 | Letter from Rev Thomas Bayes to John Canton | 1763 |
| L&P/2/482 | Letter, 'Of the late hard weather' from Henry Miles to John Canton | 28 February 1754 |
| L&P/2/88/1 | Paper, 'A method of making artificial magnets without the use of natural ones & far superior' by John Canton | 1750 |
| L&P/2/458 | Paper, 'Electrical experiments - thunder clouds' by John Canton | 1753 |
| L&P/4/207 | Letter, 'Of cold in Bedfordshire, 22 November 1763' from John Howard to John Canton | 12 April 1764 |
| L&P/5/55 | Paper, 'An easy method of making a phosphorus that will imbibe and emit light' by John Canton | 20 November 1768 |
| L&P/5/110 | Letter, 'Of the transit of Venus and the solar eclipse' from John Canton to Nevil Maskelyne | 9 June 1769 |
| L&P/5/139 | Paper, 'Luminouness of the sea' by John Canton | 1769 |
| MS/426/537 | Copy letter from W [William] Sharpey, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Edwin Canton | 28 April 1855 |
| EC/1749/34 | Canton, John: certificate of election to the Royal Society | 22 March 1750 |
| MS/141 | Notes on John Canton's pneumatical experiments, together with some rough minutes of the Canton Committee | 1765 |
| IM/004127 | Franklin, Benjamin to Canton, John | 2000 |
| MOB/025 | Magnet by John Canton | c.1750 |
| MS/597 | Canton Papers | 1738-1772 |
| MC/8/69 | Letter from James Yates, Lauderdale House, Highgate, to Walter White, [Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society] | 13 July 1867 |
| L&P/2/88 | Paper, 'A method of making artificial magnets without the use of natural ones & far superior' by John Canton | 1750 |
| MC/9/102 | Letter from James Yates, Lauderdale House, Highgate, to Dr [William] Sharpey, [Secretary of the Royal Society] | 22 June 1870 |
| MC/9 | Volume 9 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1870-June 1873 |
| MC/8 | Volume 8 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1867-1869 |
| L&P/5/106 | Paper, 'Report on preserving St Paul's Cathedral from the effects of lightning' by the Royal Society Committee | 7 June 1769 |
| L&P/5/228 | Letter, 'Experiments with the new phosphorus' from Giovanni Battista Beccaria to John Canton | 1771 |
| MC/17 | Volume 17 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1897-1899 |