Playfair, Lyon

Full Name: Lyon Playfair, first baron Playfair of St Andrew's

Achievements: Achieved the reform of the British Civil Service

Birth: May 21, 1818; Chunar, India

Death: May 29, 1898; London, England

Field & Discipline: Science; Chemist

Language: English

Father: George Playfair

Mother: Janet Ross

Siblings: Robert Lambert

Spouse: Margaret Eliza Oakes (d.1855); Jean Ann Millington (d.1877); Edith Russell

Children: son: George James

Education: Parish school -1835; St Andrew's University 1832-1835; Andersonian Institution, Glasgow 1835-1837; Edinburgh University 1837

Major Work: None

Life & Times:

Playfair intended to take up medicine but had to give up studies because he had eczema. After this he went into business in Calcutta, India, but gave that up, too, and turned to the study of chemistry.

From 1839-1841 he was at [worked at lab of] Liebig*’s world-famous laboratory in Giessen, took his Ph.D. and translated Liebig's "Organic Chemistry" into English (this was to influence the agricultural research work of [influenced work of] Lawes* and his partner [influenced work of] JH Gilbert*).

After another foray into commerce, Playfair became Pofessor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, Manchester. In 1842 he applied for a professorship in Toronto, Canada, and the UK Prime Minister, [persuaded not to emigrate by] Peel* intervened to persuade him to remain in Britain, with the promise of a better job.

This (in 1845) turned out to be the the Directorship of the Geological Survey and the Chair of Chemistry at the new School of Mines, as well as positions on virtually every important govenrment commission, dealing with such matters as public health, the Irish Potato Famine, herring fisheries, cattle plague and the Scots universities, where he introduced the degree of Doctor of Science.

In his chemistry research he discovered the nitroprussides. He also worked (with [worked with] Joule*) on hydrated salts, and (with [worked with] Bunsen*) on the gases from blast furnaces.

In 1851 he was appointed Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert's chief adviser on the 1851 Great Exhibition. He was also inspector of schools for science in London (1850-1858). In 1858 he accepted the Chair of Chemistry at Edinburgh University (where he taught [taught] Dewar). In 1868 he was elected Liberal MP for the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrew's and later, in 1885, he became member for South Leeds until 1892.

He was also instrumental in the development of compulsory education, the reform of the Civil Service (it is still known as the "Playfair system"), and he helped establish a national rate for stamping [helped facilitate use of ] postcards*. He was Postmaster General (1873-1874) and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (1880-1883, after which he was knighted).

In 1892 he was made a baron and became involved in helping to negotiate the border dispute between British Guiana and Venezuela.

As one of the first government scientists in Britain, Playfair played an important (if perhaps also self-important) role.

Extra Connections: He knew the historian [knew] Macaulay*

He met fellow-scientist [met] Cavendish*

Assessment: A conscientious public servant who made only modest advances in his own field of chemistry.

Oneliner: Lyon Playfair, pompous Victorian chemist

Bibliography:

• Dictionary of Scientific Biography.