Person Keir; James (1735 - 1820); chemist Keir James chemist 1735 - 1820 British Male Edinburgh, Scotland 29 September 1735 West Bromwich, Staffordshire 11 October 1820 Burial: West Bromwich churchyard, Staffordshire

Chemistry Education: Edinburgh University (medicine) Career: Entered the Army (1757-1766); started a business as a glass manufacturer (1775); gave it up to take charge of Boulton's Soho factory in his absence; established alkali works,Tipton (1780); close friend of Erasmus Darwin (FRS 1761) and friend of Matthew Boulton (FRS 1785), James Watt (FRS 1785) and of Joseph Priestley (FRS 1766) Memberships: Lunar Society Fellow 08/12/1785 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB References: Robert E Schofield, 'The Lunar Society of Birmingham; A Bicentenary Appraisal' in NR 1966 vol 21 pp 144-161 Barbara M D Smith and J L Moilliet, 'James Keir of the Lunar Society' in NR 1967 vol 22 pp 144-154, plate Jennifer S Pugh and John Hudson, 'The Chemical Work of James Watt, FRS' in NR 1985-86 vol 40 pp 41-52 Desmond King-Hele, 'The 1997 Wilkins Lecture: Erasmus Darwin, the Lunaticks and Evolution' in NR 1998 vol 52 pp 153-180 N G Coley, 'George Pearson MD, FRS (1751-1828): 'The greatest chemist in England'? in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 161-175 D King-Hele, 'Makers of the future. The Lunar Men: the friends who made the future, by J Uglow' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 348 - 350 Notes: At head of election certificate: Compounded ©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://pictures.royalsociety.org 29 Sep 1735 - 11 Oct 1820 NA8245 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes 29280bd1-ce83-4702-93da-7e8917090a06