Library Forum

The family is unknown to me in general, but I have had on hand for several years an obituary that may be of interest. Before I lose sight of it, I show it here although I don't have its newspaper citation.

8 December 1893

The Great English Scientist Passes Away at His Home in Surrey

That great English scientist, Prof. John Tyndall, passed away at this home in Haslemere, county of Surrey. His death was hastened by a severe cold, though he had been ailing for a long period. There was scarcely a department in physical research which which Prof. Tyndall was not familiar, though perhaps he was best known for his deep learning in the science of light and heat. The Professor was the son of poor parents, and was born in the village of Leighlin [sic] Bridge, County Clare, Ireland, in the year 1820. He attended a local school and then went to work for a merchant of his town. At the age of 19 he obtained a position of assistant to a surveyor, and this proved his real start in life, giving an impetus to his natural inclination to science. Among his works are: "Light," "Sound," "Faraday As a Discoverer," and "The Forms of Water in the Clouds, and Rivers, Ice, and Glaciers."

Hi Sharon

The author of that piece should have written "Carlow" - not "Clare" - see this Wikipedia article on John Tyndall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyndall

Sheila

Sheila, that's an excellent catch, and now I understand why someone named Tyndall could be characterized as coming from a poor situation in his native county. I had thought that that situation was not typical for Clare, just generally on my years of reading local history.

Readers may want to note that the confusion of Clare for Carlow was not a rarity in that era.

Thanks for stepping in with the correction so quickly. We can now consign that fake news to obscurity.

SMC