JOHN DALTON (1766-1844), the celebrated physicist, and founder of the atomic theory of chemistry, was born September 5, 1766, at Eaglesfield, 2 3/4 miles south-west of Cockermouth, in Cumberland. His grandfather, Jonathan Dalton, was a member of the Society of Friends, and Dalton as well as his parents belonged to that body. His father, Joseph Dalton, who in
1755 married Deborah Greeup, had three children—Jonathan, John, the subject of this sketch, and Mary. The occupation in which he was engaged, namely, that of weaving woolens, was not a lucrative one, and Mrs Dalton assisted in the support of the family by the by the sale of stationery. John received his early education from his father and form a Mr Fletcher, the teacher of the Quaker’s school at Eaglesfield. At the age of twelve he himself began the work of school-teaching, in which he continued for two years; then, for a year or more, he worked occasionally on his father’s farm. His principal study was mathematics, in which he received aid from a distant relative, a gentleman of the name of Robinson, living in the vicinity of Eaglesfield. In 1781 Dalton left his native village to become assistant to his cousin George Bewley, the master of a school for boys and girls at Kendal; and there he spent the next twelve years of his life in teaching, and in studying Latin, Greek, mathematics, and natural philosophy. During that period he became acquainted with the blind philosopher, Mr. Gough, to whose influence and help his progress in scientific knowledge was in no small measure due. In 1785 Dalton became, through the retirement of his cousin, joint-manager with his brother of the school at Kendal, and in addition to his ordinary teaching he, in 1787 and 1791, gave courses of lectures in natural philosophy. The school was not generally popular, for its young masters were uncouth in manners, and kept aloof from society. Discipline was strict, and the elder brother Jonathan is said to have been stern and severe; John being milder and gentler, and continually preoccupied with mathematics, allowed faults to escape his notice, and was consequently preferred by the scholars. About the year 1790 Dalton appears to have been desirous to secure a larger sphere for his abilities by entering on the profession of law or of physic; but his projects meeting with no encouragement from his relations, he continued to live at Kendal, till in the spring of 1793 he obtained, mainly through Mr Gough, the appointment of teacher of mathematics and natural philosophy in the New College, Moseley Street, Manchester. That position he rerained up to the time of the removal of the Collage to York in 1799, when he became a private tutor. In 1794 the number of his pupils at the College, in mathematics, mechanics, algebra, geometry, book-keeping, natural philosophy, and chemistry, was 24. It was in 1792 that he first visited London, which he described as "a surprising place, and well worth one’s while to see once; but the most disagreeable place on earth for one of a contemplative turn to reside in constantly."
1755 married Deborah Greeup, had three children—Jonathan, John, the subject of this sketch, and Mary. The occupation in which he was engaged, namely, that of weaving woolens, was not a lucrative one, and Mrs Dalton assisted in the support of the family by the by the sale of stationery. John received his early education from his father and form a Mr Fletcher, the teacher of the Quaker’s school at Eaglesfield. At the age of twelve he himself began the work of school-teaching, in which he continued for two years; then, for a year or more, he worked occasionally on his father’s farm. His principal study was mathematics, in which he received aid from a distant relative, a gentleman of the name of Robinson, living in the vicinity of Eaglesfield. In 1781 Dalton left his native village to become assistant to his cousin George Bewley, the master of a school for boys and girls at Kendal; and there he spent the next twelve years of his life in teaching, and in studying Latin, Greek, mathematics, and natural philosophy. During that period he became acquainted with the blind philosopher, Mr. Gough, to whose influence and help his progress in scientific knowledge was in no small measure due. In 1785 Dalton became, through the retirement of his cousin, joint-manager with his brother of the school at Kendal, and in addition to his ordinary teaching he, in 1787 and 1791, gave courses of lectures in natural philosophy. The school was not generally popular, for its young masters were uncouth in manners, and kept aloof from society. Discipline was strict, and the elder brother Jonathan is said to have been stern and severe; John being milder and gentler, and continually preoccupied with mathematics, allowed faults to escape his notice, and was consequently preferred by the scholars. About the year 1790 Dalton appears to have been desirous to secure a larger sphere for his abilities by entering on the profession of law or of physic; but his projects meeting with no encouragement from his relations, he continued to live at Kendal, till in the spring of 1793 he obtained, mainly through Mr Gough, the appointment of teacher of mathematics and natural philosophy in the New College, Moseley Street, Manchester. That position he rerained up to the time of the removal of the Collage to York in 1799, when he became a private tutor. In 1794 the number of his pupils at the College, in mathematics, mechanics, algebra, geometry, book-keeping, natural philosophy, and chemistry, was 24. It was in 1792 that he first visited London, which he described as "a surprising place, and well worth one’s while to see once; but the most disagreeable place on earth for one of a contemplative turn to reside in constantly."
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