Roscoe, Henry Enfield 1833 - 1915

Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe Kt FRS was a British chemist. He is particularly noted for early work on vanadium, photochemical studies, and his assistance in creating Oxo (food), in its earlier liquid form. Henry Enfield Roscoe was born in London and studied at the Liverpool Institute for Boys and University College London. In 1852 he went to work under Robert Bunsen at the University of Heidelberg. Their scientific work includes a memorable series of researches in which they laid the foundations of comparative photochemistry. Together they studied the photochemical formation of hydrogen chloride (HCl) from hydrogen and chlorine. From this work, the reciprocity law of Bunsen and Roscoe originated. Their work was very important in the development of photography and in 1864 they carried out what is reputed to be the first flashlight photography, using magnesium as a light source. In 1857, Roscoe returned to England and was appointed to the chair of chemistry at Owens College where he began an elaborate investigation of vanadium and its compounds, work which led him to correct Berzelius's value for the atomic mass and being awarded the 1868 Bakerian Lecture. Roscoe remained at the Owen's College until 1886 by which time the Victoria University had been established. In 1881 he was a founder, and first president, of the Society of Chemical Industry and was also chair of the Manchester Section of the Society. From 1885 to 1895 he was MP for Manchester South. He served on several Royal Commissions appointed to consider educational questions, in which he was keenly interested, and from 1896 to 1902 was vice-chancellor of the University of London. He was knighted in 1884. The mineral Roscoelite was named after him, due to its vanadium content and Roscoe's work on that element. The Roscoe Building at the University of Manchester was named after him. He was the uncle of Beatrix Potter.