Hard progeny of the North

The phrase "hard progeny of the North" was coined c. 1800 by Gilbert Wakefield, a Unitarian tutor at Warrington Academy. He wrote that "[i]t is observed at Cambridge, and is generally true that the hard progeny of the North, from Cumberland, Westmorland and the remote parts of Yorkshire are usually the profoundest proficient in mathematics and philosophy." This article collates information and historical scholarship on these (male) progeny of Northern England who flourished between the mid eighteenth and early nineteenth century, with a focus on those who made significant contributions to mathematics and science (or, as it was then called, natural philosophy). It is based on the catalogue of an exhibition first displayed at Lancaster University in 1976 [1], currently being updated.

The "hard progeny" were educated in the region's grammar schools which were small and typically situated in rural market towns. In an era prior to the dominance of the great public schools, grammar schools were the most important source of entrants to Oxford and Cambridge universities, at least of entrants with serious academic aspirations, especially in north-west England.[2]

Richard Watson was described as:[3]

one of 'the hard progeny of the North' who were to enrich British science for a century and more.
— The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge: Transformation and Change

Colin Russell refers to:[4]

These men of science, as well as many others, have been called "the hard progeny of the North," and it seems that the inhospitable climate and the rough terrain must have been one factor in promoting a certain toughness of mind that is so necessary in the pursuit of science.
— Michael Faraday: Physics and Faith

The principal individuals

Richard Watson (1737-1816), mathematician; Cambridge professor of chemistry, then theology; Bishop of Llandaff.
Thomas Garnett (1766-1802), physician; professor of natural philosophy at Glasgow, then at the Royal Institution.
John Dawson (1734-1820), surgeon, mathematician and notable tutor of mathematics.
Adam Sedgwick (1784-1873), a founder of modern geology; an opponent of evolution.
William Whewell [1794-1866), natural and moral philosopher; philosopher and historian of science.
Richard Owen (1804-1892), comparative anatomist, palaeontologist, invented the word "dinosaur".
Edward Frankland (1825-1899), pioneering professor of chemistry.
William Turner (1832-1916), professor of anatomy and first English Principal of Edinburgh University.

References

Robert Fox and Lois Gray, The Hard Progeny of the North. The life and work of eight north country scientists. Lancaster, 1976. Library Shelf-mark AK44L
Slinn, Sara (2017). The Education of the Anglican Clergy, 1780–1839. Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer. pp. 129–169. ISBN 978-1-78327-175-7.
Archer, Mary D.; Haley, Christopher D. (2005-01-06). "3. Richard Watson; gaiters and gunpowder". The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge: Transformation and Change. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9780521828734.
Russell, Colin A. (2001-01-04). Michael Faraday: Physics and Faith. Oxford University Press. p. 15. ISBN 9780190283551.

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[1] Robert Fox and Lois Gray, The Hard Progeny of the North. The life and work of eight north country scientists. Lancaster, 1976. Library Shelf-mark AK44L

[2] Slinn, Sara (2017). The Education of the Anglican Clergy, 1780–1839. Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer. pp. 129–169. ISBN 978-1-78327-175-7.

[3] Archer, Mary D.; Haley, Christopher D. (2005-01-06). "3. Richard Watson; gaiters and gunpowder". The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge: Transformation and Change. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9780521828734.

[4] Russell, Colin A. (2001-01-04). Michael Faraday: Physics and Faith. Oxford University Press. p. 15. ISBN 9780190283551.