Person Gilbert; Sir; Joseph Henry (1817 - 1901); agricultural chemist Gilbert Joseph Henry Sir agricultural chemist 1817 - 1901 British Male Hull, Yorkshire, England 01 August 1817 18170801 West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England 23/12/1901 19011223 Burial: Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England

Chemist Ecology Agricultural chemistry Chemistry Education: Private education in Mr Long's School, Mansfield; School in Nottingham, England; University of Glasgow (1838); University College, London (1839–40) PhD Career: Moved with family to Nottingham (1825); suffered a gunshot accident which resulted in the loss of one eye and severely impaired vision in the other (1832); worked in the laboratory of Justus Liebig in Giessen (1840); returned to London and became an assistant to Anthony Todd Thomson at University College (1840–41); moved to Manchester area to pursue work on the chemistry of calico printing and dyeing; took up an appointment at Lawes's agricultural estate at Rothamsted, resulting in one of the longest and most productive scientific partnerships on record (1843-1900). Honours: Kt 1893 Memberships: FCS (President 1882-3) Royal Agricultural Society 1883 Awards/Medals: Albert gold medal (jointly with Lawes) 1893 Parents: Joseph Gilbert, Congregationalist minister, and Ann Gilbert, known as Ann Taylor (1782–1866), children's writer. Spouse: 1) Eliza Forbes Laurie (d.15 February 1853), daughter of George Laurie August (1850); 2) Maria Smith of Heyford, daughter of Benjamin Smith (2 October 1855). Noted for improving the methods of practical agriculture. Discovered, in collaboration with Sir John Benett Lawes (FRS 1854), that cereal crops took up nitrogen from the soil. Eght of the experiments carried out by Gilbert and Lawes that commenced between 1843 and 1856 were still runinng 150 years later, making them the oldest continuous agricultural experiments in the world. Roles: Council 1886–8 Medals and prizes: Royal Medal 1867 Fellow 07/06/1860 43 Alfred Baring Garrod Edward Frankland Warren De la Rue Edwin Ray Lankester John Hall Gladstone John Maxwell Tylden Alexander William Williamson Henry Bence Jones Charles Daubeny Thomas Andrews Robert Kane Lyon Playfair Benjamin Collins Brodie William Allen Miller Augustus Wilhelm von Hoffman Thomas Graham John Bennet Lawes James Clark Edward William Brayley Robert Hunt John Tyndall Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB Obituaries: Proc Roy Soc 1905 vol 75 pp 236-242 signed by R W Gilbert J H, IM Maull 001651.jpg 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 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Gilbert%2C+Joseph+Henry 1 Aug 1817 - 23 Dec 1901 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 30/10/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA5830 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/49981677 2c0e7820-e005-468e-aea0-7084d74cbef4