Person Higgins; William (? 1762 - 1825) Higgins William ? 1762 - 1825 Male Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland 1762 or 1763 Dublin, Ireland 30 June 1825

Chemist Chemistry Education: Pembroke College, Oxford (1786-1788) did not complete degree Career: Assistant to his uncle Dr Bryan Higgins, physician and chemist who ran a school of practical chemistry in Greek Street, Soho, London, but left after a disagreement; wrote 'a comprehensive view of the phlogistic and anti-phlogistic theories' (1789) which contributed to the demise of phlogistic theories and suggested the existence of atoms and attractions between them; Chemist to the Apothecaries Company of Ireland (1791); Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Dublin Society (1791-1825); Chemist and librarian, Royal Dublin Society (1795); worked on minor industrial applications of chemistry such as bleaching for the Irish Linen Board; founder member of Kirwanian Society (1812). Claimed to have developed the principles of the atomic theory before John Dalton. Memberships: MRIA (1794) Son of Thomas Higgins, grandson of Bryan Higgins both medical doctors Fellow 12/06/1806 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Irish Innovators References: M I Grossman 'William Higgins at the Dublin Society, 1810-1820: the loss of a professorship and a claim to the atomic theory' NR 2010, vol 64 pp417-434 Notes: Possible birth date of 1763. DSB gives death date. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 'A Comparative View of the Phlogistic and Antiphlogistic Theories' (1789) 1762 or 1763 - ? 30 Jun 1825 NA5134 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes 00732533-94ab-4aed-aea1-b17eca9f2dd7