Frederick Woodward Branson

Frederick Woodward Branson, FIC, FCS (6 March 1851 – 30 November 1933) was a British chemist, glassblower, instrument maker and X-ray pioneer.

Life and times

Branson was born on 6 March 1851 at Hanslope, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England. He was the son of Thomas Branson and Sarah Ann née Woodward.[1] In 1861, he lived with his parents and maternal grandparents, William and Mary Woodward at Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, England.[2] In 1871, Branson was employed as a chemist's apprentice, in the pharmacy of Messrs. Jay in the Drapery at All Saints, Northampton where he served his indentures.[3] In 1884, he married Rose Mary Ellen née Hartridge at Woodbridge, Suffolk, daughter of James Samuel Hartridge (ca. 1824-1888) and Susanna Hills (ca. 1834-1907).[4] Branson was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was known to follow grouse on the Yorkshire Moors. He often fished for salmon in the River Eden. He was an accomplished pianist and regularly supported the Leeds Philharmonic Society. Branson enjoyed the time he spent in his garden, in particluar the care of his Alpine plants. He had a rock garden that he built from limestone collected from the moors near Pateley Bridge and skillfully laid out. Early in his career, Branson became acquainted with George Claridge Druce and their friendship and mutual fondness of botany continued throughout his life. He died in 1933.[5]

Education and early career

Branson passed the Minor examination of the Pharmaceutical Society in 1873 and the Major in 1878. From 1880 to 1881, he attended King’s College, London and was awarded the Clothworkers’ Science Prize in 1881. The Clothworkers’ Science Prize was awarded to evening class students in the amount of £5.[6] In 1878 until 1881, he worked with John Bell & Co. in the historic pharmacy at Oxford Street, and acted as laboratory assistant to Samuel Gale, a partner in the firm of John Bell. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry in 1888 and a Fellow of the Chemical Society in 1882.[5][7]

Reynolds & Branson

In 1883, Branson joined the business of Haw, Reynolds & Co. with Richard Reynolds and his son, Richard Freshfield (Fred) Reynolds at Leeds, England. In 1886, the firm became Reynolds & Branson. The firm was in the business of wholesale and retail chemists and surgical instrument makers. In June 1898, a notice in Chemist and Druggist announced the firm of Reynolds & Branson, Limited was formed as a limited corporation.[7][8] The original business had been founded in 1816 by William West, FRS.[5] Branson focused on the development of scientific apparatus and chemical glassware for the business. He was an expert glassblower. During WW1, he actively pursued efforts to standardize the size and shape of chemical glassware. In 1916, he was elected as an inaugural member of the Society of Glass Technology. He organized research and published works on these topics. Branson sought to secure in Great Britain the manufacturing process for the glass required for the equipment of munition factories.[9][10] He managed the firm’s analytical services and he specialized in water analysis. As he was an expert in the geology of Yorkshire, he was well qualified to interpret the chemical results. In 1898, the firm was converted into a private company and Branson was chairman until retirement in 1932. His son, Frederick Hartridge Branson, Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry AIC, became chairman and managing director of the company.[5][7]

X-ray pioneer

Branson was an early pioneer in the newly discovered X-rays and radiography. He developed an instrument for estimating the amount of exposure to X-rays necessary to obtain a fully exposed plate.[11]

New X-ray Meter

"The peculiar glow exhibited by a “focus” tube working well furnishes a good criterion of efficiency as regards Rontgen rays. A more definitive means of comparing the actinic power of the radiation has been produced by Messrs. Reynolds and Branson, Leeds. A small quadrant of aluminium is constructed in concentric terraces, ranging from one millimetre to ten millimetre in thickness. By holding this quadrant between an excited Crookes’ tube and a phosphorescent screen, the thickness of aluminium which the rays are capable of traversing can be seen upon the screen; or, by substituting a sensitive plate for the screen, the effect may be photographed. The “X-ray meter,” as the quadrant is called, thus furnishes an easy means of comparing the intensity of Rontgen ray emitted by different tubes and by the same tubes at different times."

In a memoir of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen by Otto Glasser, 1933, Branson’s invention of a qualimeter is noticed. Glasser referred to the work of Röntgen and the attempt to measure the photographic quality of the Röntgen rays: "Röntgen had studied carefully the penetration of the roentgen rays through a series of substances and had used for such measurements small ladders of metal of a type which in later years was used generally. This idea was made practical by an English firm [Reynolds and Branson], who arranged aluminium in gradations or steps in the shape of a circle so that an aluminium ladder was formed with steps of from 1 to 10 mm. in thickness. With this arrangement the hardness of the rays could be determined on a fluorescent screen as that thickness which could just be penetrated by the rays."[12][13]

Radium

As Branson was an scientific instrument maker and had a keen interest in the scientific developments of the day, he closely followed new discoveries in science. Marie Curie had discovered radium. In June 1903, the Curie couple were invited to present a talk on radioactivity at the Royal Institution in London. Pierre Curie made the presentation, as women were prohibited from speaking engagements at the Royal Institution.[14] In July 1904, Branson gave a presentation titled Radium and its Properties and made a demonstration with radium before members of the Leeds Geological Society and the Leeds Naturalist Club.[15]

Radium and its Properties.

"The Leeds Law Institute was, on the 23rd ult., crowded to the door on the occasion of a lecture by Mr. F. W. Branson, F.I.C., on that mysterious subject known as radium. The Leeds Geological Society and the Leeds Naturalist Club were also represented, and Mr. E. Hawkesworth was in the chair.

"The new metal, which Professor Pierre Curie discovered, has, as demonstrated by Mr. Branson, some wonderful properties and a probable great future.

"Mr. Bronson first showed that radium is an element having the highest atomic weight known, and has a characteristic spectrum, by which it can be easily identified, and that it falls into the group of metals: barium, calcium, and strontium. He then showed the difference between atmospheric (sound) waves and ether waves (heat, light, and electrical), and alluded to the emanations given off by radium as consisting of electrons negatively charged, and also much larger particles of matter termed ions positively charged. The former have very penetrative powers as regards metals and opaque bodies, and are identical with the kathode rays that are given off in an ordinary X-ray tube.

"The positively charged particles are not so penetrative; indeed, they are easily stopped by such substances as cardboard. When a fragment of radium salt is held near to a zinc blende screen, the positively charged particles given off by radium salts bombard it and render the surface of the screen full of rapidly changing brilliant points. This phenomenon was shown by means of an instrument called the “Spinthariscope.”

"With regard to the heat rays, the emanations of there from a tube of radium bromide, which had previously photographed itself on a photographic plate in the dark room, was shown by Bunsen’s Ice Calorimeter, which instrument not only proves that heat is given out continuously by the salt, but measures accurately the amount generated. The reducing effect on chemical substances was alluded to, also the destruction of living tissues, and bacteria by radium emanations, and the general aspects of radio-activity were also dealt with and illustrated by numerous experiments, limelight views, and in other ways.

"The address was necessarily technical in its character, but sufficient properties of the metal were indicated to create a degree of sustained interest, and many eminent scientists from all parts of the country were present. A very hearty vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. Gilbert Middleton (president of the Leeds Photographic Society), seconded by Mr. Dreweryhouse (Leeds Geological Society), ternimated probably the most interesting demonstration ever given before the society."

Professional service

Accolades and honours

Publications

References

  1. ↑ England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008. Database. FamilySearch. Frederick Woodward Branson, 1851. England & Wales Births, 1837-2006. Database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012). Citing Birth Registration. Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England. Citing General Register Office. Southport, England.
  2. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1861. Database with images. FamilySearch. Frederic Branson in household of William Woodward. Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, England. 1861 England, Scotland and Wales census. Database and images. findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.). Citing PRO RG 9. The National Archives. Kew, Surrey.
  3. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1871. Database with images. FamilySearch. Frederick W Branson in entry for Sarah S Foll, 1871.
  4. ↑ England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005. Database. FamilySearch. Frederick Woodward Branson, 1884. England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005. Database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: 2012). Citing Marriage. Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. General Register Office. Southport, England.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gough, J. H. (1934). Frederick Woodward Branson. 1551-1933. Obituary Notices. Journal of the Chemical Society. Page 2012-2014.
  6. ↑ Parker, John W. (1896). Evening Classes. The Calendar of King's College, London. King's College (University of London).
  7. 1 2 3 Bennion, Elisabeth. (1979). Antique Medical Instruments. University of California Press. Page 319.
  8. ↑ Benn Brothers. (18 June 1898). Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy, Volume 52. Page 977.
  9. ↑ Branson, F. W. (1915). The composition of some types of chemical Glassware. Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. 34(9): 471-472.
  10. ↑ Branson, F. W. and Branson, R. F. (1919). A proposed standard formula for a glass for lamp workers. Transactions of the Society of Glass Technology. (3): 249.
  11. ↑ Lockyer, Norman (editor). (21 May 1896). New X-ray Meter. Notes. Nature. 54(1386): 62. Macmillan Journals Limited.
  12. ↑ Glasser, Otto. (1934). WILHELM CONRAD RONTGEN AND THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE ROENTGEN RAYS. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. 187(4): 566.
  13. ↑ Reynolds & Branson. Electrical Engineer. (10 June 1896). New York. (21): 621.
  14. ↑ "Marie Curie  – Recognition and Disappointment (1903–1905) Part 1". American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  15. ↑ Greenwood, H. Edited by William Crookes, George Shadbolt, J. Traill Taylor, William Blanchard Bolton. (3 July 1904). Radium and its Properties. British Journal of Photography. Volume 50. Page 532.
  16. ↑ Branson, F. W. and Ackroyd, W. (1905). The Underground Waters of North-west Yorkshire .Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. Volume 15. Yorkshire Geological Society.
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