Person: Watson, Richard (0 - 1817)

• Comments

  VENN
  Adm. sizar (age 17) at TRINITY, Nov. 2, 1754. [Youngest] s. of [the Rev.] Thomas, of Heversham, Westmorland. [B. there, Aug. 1737.] School, Heversham. ' Matric. Lent, 1755; Scholar, 1757; B.A. (2nd Wrangler) 1759; M.A. 1762; D.D. (per Lit. Reg.) 1771. Fellow, 1760; Tutor, 1767-71; Junior Dean, 1769-71. Professor of Chemistry, 1764-73. Regius Professor of Divinity, 1771-1816. F.R.S., 1769. Ord. priest (Norwich) Feb. 28, 1768. R. of Northwold, Norfolk, 1779-81. R. of Knaptoft, Leics., 1781. R. of Somersham, Hunts. Archdeacon of Ely, 1779-82. Bishop of Llandaff, 1782-1816. He stated that he 'knew as much of divinity as could reasonably be expected of a man whose course of studies had been directed to, and whose time had been fully occupied in, other pursuits',but the Regius chair had 'long been the secret object' of his ambition, and, 'by hard travelling and some adroitness', he obtained the King's mandate and was created D.D. in time for the election. Edited a Collection of Theological Tracts. Appointed as his deputy, 1787, Thomas Kipling, of St John's, the editor of the Codex Bezae, and left Cambridge. On election to the chair of Chemistry, having 'never read a syllable on the subject nor seen a single experiment', he sent to Paris for an 'operator', shut himself up in his laboratory and in 14 months, in the course of which his workshop was shattered by an explosion, he began a course of lectures which were largely attended. His experiments led to the invention of the black-bulb thermometer. Said to have saved the Government £100,000 a year by advice on the manufacture of gunpowder. Married Dorothy Wilson, of whom there is a portrait by John Downman in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Author, Chemical Essays. Died July 4, 1816. Father of Charles L (1791) and the next. (E. H. Vigers; The Extraordinary Black Book, 1830; G. Mag., II. 1816, 274; Hist. Reg.; Wordsworth, Anecdotes of Richard Watson; Gunther, Camb. Science; Gunning, Reminiscences, I. 232-6; D.N.B.)

Education Events

• BA : Cambridge / Trinity College

  Type	Name	Date	Qualification	University	Full Record
  Ord	Watson, Richard	01/06/1760	BA	Cambridge	View

• MA : Cambridge / Trinity

  Type	Name	Date	Qualification	University	Full Record
  Ord	Watson, Richard	28/02/1768	MA	Cambridge	View

• DD

  Type	Name	Date	Qualification	University	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	17/12/1773	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	17/12/1773	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	24/01/1774	DD		View
  Sub	Watson, Richard	05/02/1774	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	18/10/1779	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	18/10/1779	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	01/07/1780	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	06/07/1780	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	10/04/1781	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	25/04/1781	DD		View
  Disp	Watson, Richard	23/09/1782	DD		View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	19/10/1782	DD		View

Ordination Events

• deacon : 01/06/1760 (Thomas, John/Lincoln 1744-1761)

  Type	Name	Date	Status	Event	Full Record
  Ord	Watson, Richard	01/06/1760	deacon	ordination	View

• priest : 28/02/1768 (Yonge, Philip/Norwich 1761-1783)

  Type	Name	Date	Status	Event	Full Record
  Ord	Watson, Richard	28/02/1768	priest	ordination	View

Appointment Events

• Curate : Hamerton (02/06/1760 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	02/06/1760	Curate	Licensing	Hamerton/	View

• sinecure rector : Llangwm (17/12/1773 - 03/06/1774 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	17/12/1773	sinecure rector	Institution	Llangwm/	View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	17/12/1773	Rector	Subscription on Appointment	Llangwm/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	03/06/1774	sinecure rector	resignation	Llangwm/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	03/06/1774	sinecure rector	resignation	Llangwm/	View

• Canon : Ely cathedral, 2nd prebend (05/02/1774 - 18/10/1779 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	24/01/1774	Prebendary	Collation	Ely Cathedral/Second Prebend	View
  Sub	Watson, Richard	05/02/1774	Canon		Ely cathedral/2nd Canonry	View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	18/10/1779	Prebendary	Resignation	Ely Cathedral/Second prebend	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	19/10/1779	Prebendary	resignation	Ely Cathedral/Second prebend	View

• Archdeacon : Archdeaconry of Ely (18/10/1779 - 28/09/1816 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Sub	Watson, Richard	00/00/0000	Archdeacon		Ely Cathedral/Archdeaconry of Ely	View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	18/10/1779	Archdeacon	Collation	Ely/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	28/09/1816	Archdeacon	Death	Archdeaconry of Ely/	View

• Rector : Northwold (06/07/1780 - 11/04/1781 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	01/07/1780	Rector	Presentation	Northwold/	View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	06/07/1780	Rector	Institution	Northwold/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	11/04/1781	Rector	cession	Northwold/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	11/05/1781	Rector	cession	Northwold/	View

• Rector : Kynnersley (10/04/1781 - 17/09/1816 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	10/04/1781	Rector	Institution	Kinnersley/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	17/09/1816	Rector	Death	Kinnarsley/	View

• Rector : Knaptoft (25/04/1781 - 03/01/1817 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	25/04/1781	Rector	Institution	Knaptoft/	View
  Vac	Unknown,	03/01/1817	Rector	Death	Knaptoft/	View

• Bishop : Bishop of Llandaff (20/10/1782 - 19/08/1816 )

  Type	Name	Date	Office	Event	Location	Full Record
  Appt	Watson, Richard	19/10/1782	Bishop	confirmation of election	Landaff/	View
  Appt	Watson, Richard	20/10/1782	Bishop	consecration	Landaff/	View
  Vac	Watson, Richard	19/08/1816	Bishop	Death	Llandaff/	View

Death Events

• Death (19/08/1816)

  Name	Date	Cause	Type	Full Record
  Watson, Richard	19/08/1816	Death	Vac	View
  Watson, Richard	17/09/1816	Death	Vac	View
  Watson, Richard	28/09/1816	Death	Vac	View
  Unknown,	03/01/1817	Death	Vac	View