Did you know that Bloomsbury’s Bedford Square is home to a tribute to a scientist? We are standing in front of 11 Bedford Square. Here, you will find a blue plaque. This plaque commemorates Henry Cavendish.
The Dennis Brain Blue plaque is not here. However, let’s talk about Henry Cavendish. He was a notable natural philosopher. Cavendish made significant contributions to science.
Born in 1731, Henry Cavendish lived in this very building. The Greater London Council erected this plaque in 1903. It recognizes his importance. The Bedford Estate originally erected the plaque in 1904. Later, it was incorporated into the official scheme in 1983.
Bedford Square itself has a rich history. It was built between 1775 and 1783. The square was designed as an upper middle class residential area. The Dukes of Bedford owned much of the land around here.
Architect Thomas Leverton designed many of the houses. Famous London builders William Scott and Robert Grews constructed them. Leverton was known for his palace front designs. These made rows of terraced townhouses look like a single country mansion.
Henry Cavendish’s life was dedicated to science. He is noted for his discovery of hydrogen. He called it inflammable air. Cavendish described its density in a 1766 paper. His mother was Lady Anne de Grey. His father was Lord Charles Cavendish.
Cavendish lived with his father in London. He soon had his own laboratory. He followed his father into science. He researched and participated in scientific organizations. He was active in the Royal Society of London. Cavendish was a trustee of the British Museum.
Cavendish published few papers but achieved much. He found that acids on metals produced inflammable air. He discovered that mammals exhale fixed air. He also produced carbon dioxide.
In 1777, Henry Cavendish discovered that air exhaled by mammals is converted to fixed air. He produced carbon dioxide by dissolving alkalis in acids.
Cavendish received the Royal Society’s Copley Medal. He invented a new eudiometer. Cavendish burned hydrogen. This caused water to condense from the air. He exploded hydrogen and ordinary air with a spark.
Henry Cavendish improved existing scientific instruments. He used the phlogiston theory in chemistry. Cavendish made explicit objections in his 1784 paper on air.
Cavendish’s apparatus for weighing the Earth was a modification of John Michell’s torsion balance. He isolated the apparatus in a separate room. He used external controls and telescopes. Cavendish found that the Earth’s average density is 5.48 times greater than water.
Lord Charles Cavendish left his estate to Henry. Henry published a theory of electricity in 1771. James Clerk Maxwell published his electrical experiments later.
Henry Cavendish died in 1810 and was buried in Derby Cathedral. He was the largest depositor in the Bank of England. Cavendish was shy and uncomfortable in society. He avoided it when he could. He communicated with female servants by notes.
Henry Cavendish was respected by his contemporaries. He enjoyed collecting fine furniture. Dietrich Belitz concluded that Cavendish understood the nature of heat.
So, while we’re not discussing Dennis Brain today, remember Henry Cavendish. His legacy lives on in this square. His work continues to inspire scientists. Take a moment to appreciate the history around us. These plaques tell silent stories of remarkable people.