Person Crookes; Sir; William (1832 - 1919); chemist and science journalist Crookes William Sir chemist and science journalist 1832 - 1919 British Male 143 Regent Street, London, England 17 June 1832 18320617 7 Kensington Park Gardens, London, England 04/04/1919 19190404 Burial: Brompton Cemetery, London

20 Mornington Road, London (1863); 7 Kensington Park Gardens, London (1919)

chemist and science journalist Spectroscopy Physical chemistry Chemistry Physics Education: Prospect House School, Weybridge; Royal College of Chemistry, Oxford Street, London; Imperial College, London. Career: Assistant, Royal College of Chemistry (1850-1854); Superintendent of Meteorology, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford (1854); founded (1859) and edited 'Chemical News'; had a private laboratory in 7 Kensington Park Gardens. Honours: Kt 1897; OM 1910 Awards/Medals: Albert Medal 1899 Elliott Cresson Medal 1912 Memberships: Chemical Society (President 1887–9) Institution of Electrical Engineers (President 1890–94) Society for Psychical Research (President 1897) British Association for the Advancement of Science (President 1898) Society of Chemical Industry (Presdient 1913) Parents: Joseph Crookes (1792–1884), a tailor from Yorkshire, and his second wife, Mary Scott of Aynhoe, Northamptonshire. Spouse: Ellen, daughter of William Humphrey of Darlington (1856) Pioneer of vacuum tubes, inventing the Crookes tube in 1875. First to describe the spectrum of terrestrial helium in 1865. Discovered thallium in 1861. Invented the Crookes radiometer. Invented 100% ultraviolet blocking sunglass lens. Pursued psychical research and strongly criticised by his contemporaries. Royal Society roles: PRS 1913-1915; VP 1895-1896, 1907-1908, 1915-1916; For Sec 1908-1912 Medals and prizes: Royal Medal 1875; Davy Medal 1888; Copley Medal 1904 Lectures: Bakerian 1878, 1879, 1883 Fellow 04/06/1863 31 John Peter Gassiot Bartholomew Price John Tyndall John Frederick William Herschel John Stenhouse Edward William Brayley Benjamin Collins Brodie David Thomas Ansted John Hall Gladstone William Odling Philip John Yorke Balfour Stewart John Phillips Jseph Henry Gilbert Augustus Mattiessen Frederick Augustus Abel Alexander William Williamson Michael Faraday Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DSB Obituaries: Proc Roy Soc Series A 1919-1920 vol 96 pp i-ix, plate, signed by W A T References: Vanity Fair 21 May 1903 - "Ubi Crookes ibi lux" Sir George Thomson, 'An Unfortunate Experiment: Hertz and the Nature of Cathode Rays' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 237-242 A Gibson and W V Farrar, 'Robert Angus Smith, FRS, and "Sanitary Science"' in NR 1973-4 vol 28 pp 241-262 Frank A J L James, 'Of "Medals and Muddles". The Context of the Discovery of Thallium: William Crookes's Early Spectro-Chemical Work' in NR 1984-85 vol 39 pp 65-90 W H Brock 'The Royal society's Glass Workers' Cataract Committee; Sir William Crookes and the development of sunglasses' NR 2007 vol 61 pp301-312 Crookes P0028.jpg ©The Royal Society 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/doi/10.1098/rspa.1920.0007 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Crookes%2C+William RCN 34611 RCN 34608 RCN 34609 RCN 34610 RCN 38811 RCN 34607 RCN 34612 RCN 34613 RCN 17460 RCN 38809 RCN 38808 RCN 34614 RCN 17461 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH2098 17 Jun 1832 - 4 Apr 1919 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 21/08/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8188 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/24698570 9e121d17-07d0-4ed8-9dfd-780b51b5ea82