George Frederick Ansell
Encyclopedia
George Frederick Ansell (1826–1880) was an English scientific inventor, chemist and assayer, and author of a standard work on the Royal Mint
.
on 4 March 1826. He was apprenticed for four years to a surgeon, and studied medicine with the intention of adopting a medical life as his profession, but abandoned it for chemistry. After undergoing a course of instruction at the Royal College of Chemistry
, he became an assistant to August Wilhelm Hofmann at the Royal School of Mines
. In 1854 he gave lectures in chemistry at the Panopticon in Leicester Square
, London, but that institution did not last long, and Ansell accepted from Thomas Graham, in November 1856, a situation in the Royal Mint. He remained in this office for more than ten years, when differences of opinion between him and its chiefs led to the loss of his position. A contemporary history suggests his criticisms influenced the Coinage Act 1870
. After his retirement, and until his death on 21 December 1880, he practised as an analyst.
Ansell devoted much attention to the dangers arising from firedamp
in collieries, and made a valuable series of experiments on the subject in the Ince Hall colliery near Wigan
. The ‘firedamp indicator’, which he subsequently patented, was adopted with considerable success in many of the collieries on the continent. For the cyclopædia of Charles Tomlinson
he wrote a treatise on coining
—one hundred copies of which were struck off for private circulation—and his work on the Royal Mint was an amplification of this article. This volume first appeared in 1870, and was reissued in the next year; its popularity was somewhat marred by the introduction of the narrative of his quarrels with his colleagues in the office, but it contained much information not to be found elsewhere. Several articles on the subjects in which he took most interest were contributed by him to the seventh edition of Andrew Ure
's ‘Dictionary of Arts’.
His daughter Gertrude Mary Ansell was a noted suffragette
and animal rights
activist.
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
.
Biography
Ansell was born at CarshaltonCarshalton
Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...
on 4 March 1826. He was apprenticed for four years to a surgeon, and studied medicine with the intention of adopting a medical life as his profession, but abandoned it for chemistry. After undergoing a course of instruction at the Royal College of Chemistry
Royal College of Chemistry
The Royal College of Chemistry was a college originally based on Oxford Street in central London, England. It operated between 1845 and 1872....
, he became an assistant to August Wilhelm Hofmann at the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
. In 1854 he gave lectures in chemistry at the Panopticon in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, London, but that institution did not last long, and Ansell accepted from Thomas Graham, in November 1856, a situation in the Royal Mint. He remained in this office for more than ten years, when differences of opinion between him and its chiefs led to the loss of his position. A contemporary history suggests his criticisms influenced the Coinage Act 1870
Coinage Act 1870
The Coinage Act 1870 stated the metric weights of British coins. For example, it defined the weight of the sovereign as 7.98805 grams...
. After his retirement, and until his death on 21 December 1880, he practised as an analyst.
Ansell devoted much attention to the dangers arising from firedamp
Firedamp
Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mines. It is the name given to a number of flammable gases, especially methane. It is particularly commonly found in areas where the coal is bituminous...
in collieries, and made a valuable series of experiments on the subject in the Ince Hall colliery near Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. The ‘firedamp indicator’, which he subsequently patented, was adopted with considerable success in many of the collieries on the continent. For the cyclopædia of Charles Tomlinson
Charles Tomlinson (scientist)
Charles Tomlinson FRS was a British scientist.-Biography:He studied science under George Birkbeck, the founder of the London Mechanics' Institute. For a while, he had a school with his brother Lewis, at Salisbury...
he wrote a treatise on coining
Coining (mint)
In minting, coining is the process of manufacturing coins using a kind of stamping which is now generically known in metalworking as "coining".A coin die is one of the two metallic pieces that are used to strike one side of a coin...
—one hundred copies of which were struck off for private circulation—and his work on the Royal Mint was an amplification of this article. This volume first appeared in 1870, and was reissued in the next year; its popularity was somewhat marred by the introduction of the narrative of his quarrels with his colleagues in the office, but it contained much information not to be found elsewhere. Several articles on the subjects in which he took most interest were contributed by him to the seventh edition of Andrew Ure
Andrew Ure
Andrew Ure was a Scottish doctor, scholar and chemist.-Biography:Andrew Ure was born in Glasgow, the son of Alexander Ure, a cheesemonger and his wife, Anne. He received an M.D. from Glasgow University in 1801, and served briefly as an army surgeon before settling in Glasgow, where he became a...
's ‘Dictionary of Arts’.
His daughter Gertrude Mary Ansell was a noted suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activist.
Publications
- The Royal Mint: its working, conduct, and operations, fully and practically explained, 1870