Contributors to the ERA ..
I'm interested to hear about other Factions important people that shaped the 18th century.
So Famous Poles, Russians etc.
I'll start with Famous Scots ... I've tried to keep the list relevant.
Joseph Black (1728 - 1799)
Chemist. Professor of Anatomy and Chemistry in Glasgow University (1756) and then Professor of Medicine and Chemistry in Edinburgh (1766). Developed the concept of "Latent Heat" and discovered Carbon Dioxide ("Fixed Air"). Regarded as the Father of Quantitative Chemistry.
James Bruce (1730 - 1794)
Explorer, born in Stirlingshire. Discovered the source of the Blue Nile in 1770. Was congratulated by the French, but the English did not believe him
George Cleghorn (1716 - 1794)
Army surgeon who discovered that quinine bark acted as a cure for Malaria, a form of which was endemic in Britain at that time.
Sir Hugh Dalrymple (Lord Drummore) (1700 - 1753)
Invented hollow-pipe drainage. This innovation allowed the drying of water-logged land, bringing large areas into agricultural production.
Robert Dinwiddie (1693 - 1770)
Born near Glasgow, was the Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia. He insisted that the colonies should raise money for their own protection. Discovered George Washington's talents and sent him to resist the French. Thus he was an important figure in American History and has been called the "Grandfather of the United States".
Adam Ferguson (1723 - 1816)
Born in Logierait, Perthshire, he became Professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh. He introduced the method of studying humankind in groups and is father of the subject now called "Sociology".
Patrick Ferguson (1744 - 1780)
Born in Pitfour, Aberdeenshire, Ferguson invented the breech-loading rifle, which was capable of firing seven shots per minute. With the help of this weapon, the Americans were defeated at the Battle of Brandywine (1777). He was killed at the Battle of King's Mountain in South Carolina, USA.
Rev. Alexander Forsyth (1769 - 1848)
Inventor of the percussion cap. Fond of game shooting, he realised the major problem with the flint-lock gun was its unreliability in damp conditions. The percussion cap ignited an enclosed charge when struck by a hammer. This was later developed into the modern bullet
David Hume (1711 - 1776)
Philosopher, agnostic and leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. Hume wrote on human nature, politics and introduced the concept of social history
John Paul Jones (1747 - 1792)
Born in Dumfriesshire, he joined the navy and spent time in Russia and France during the French Revolution. Most notably he established the U.S. Navy.
William Kidd (Captain Kidd) (1645 - 1701)
Infamous pirate and privateer, born in Greenock, Renfrewshire. He traded a small merchant fleet from New York. Fought as a privateer to protect Anglo- American trade routes in the West Indies and in 1691 was rewarded by New York City. Employed by the British Navy to stamp out piracy in the Indian Ocean, but instead became one of them. Surrendered in Boston in 1699, transported to London, tried and hanged.
James Lind (1716 - 1794)
Naval Physician. Rediscovered the cure for scurvy (citrus fruits) and ensured that the British Admiralty systematically applied it.
John McAdam (1756 - 1836)
Surveyor and builder of roads. Developed the process of "Macadamisation" which involves covering a road with small broken stones to form a hard surface. This led to tarmacadam (or tarmac), which is still used to cover roads today.
Andrew Meikle (1719 - 1811)
Inventor of the threshing machine.
Mungo Park (1771 - 1806)
Explorer. He mapped large areas of the interior of Africa for the first time, determined the course of the Niger and died trying to find its source.
William Paterson (1658 - 1719)
Merchant and Politician. Born in Tinwald, Dumfriesshire, he founded the Bank of England in 1694. He was also the main proponent of the Darien Farce, which involved establishing a Scottish trading colony in Central America. The colony was a disaster, and Paterson's wife and child died. He promoted the Union of the Parliaments, which was at least in part driven by an attempt to make good his and Scotland's losses at Darien.
John Rennie (1761 - 1801)
Engineer, born in Phantassie, East Lothian. Began his career in agricultural land improvement. Went on to build docks from Wick to Torquay, including the London and East India docks. Also in London, the Southwark, Waterloo and London Bridges (the latter is now re-erected in Arizona). Buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Alexander Selkirk (1676 - 1721)
Seaman and Castaway. Born in the fishing village of Lower Largo in Fife. Selkirk was the model for Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" (published 1719), having lived for more than four years on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez.
James Small (1730 - 1793)
Inventor of the iron plough, replacing the existing cumbersome and less robust wooden ploughs.
William Symington (1763 - 1831)
Engineer. Developed the first steam-powered marine engine used to power the world's first paddle steamer
James Watt (1736 - 1819)
Developed the steam engine into a practical source of power and invented the governor as a control device.
Peter Williamson (1730 - 1799)
Known as Indian Peter, he was kidnapped from his native Aberdeenshire and sold into slavery in America. Captured by Cherokee indians, he escaped to join the army and was then imprisoned by the French. He eventually returned to Edinburgh, publishing its first street directory, set up a postal service and then successfully sued Aberdeen officials for slave trading.
John Witherspoon (1723 - 1794)
Clergyman born in Gifford, East Lothian. Minister at Beith, then Paisley. Emigrated to U.S.A. in 1768 to become President of Princeton University (then the College of New Jersey). He taught and influenced many future leaders of the US. Helped frame the US Declaration of Independence and was one of the signatories. Also coined the word "Americanism".
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