Frederick S. Barff

Frederick Settle Barff (6 October 1822[notes 1] – 11 August 1886)[1] was an English chemist, ecclesiastical decorator, and stained glass manufacturer,[2] much interested in theology.

[1] He is best known as a chemist, having invented several important preservation methods for a range of materials, including iron, stone, wood and foodstuffs.

[2] Born in Hackney, London, the son of a doctor, Barff was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge,[3] where he earned a BA in 1844, followed by an MA in 1847.

He supervised the interior decoration of St Patrick's Church, Liverpool[2] and painted the frescoes at Stonyhurst College.

[notes 2][2] By 1858 Barff's company had moved to Dublin, possibly influenced by his contemporary and fellow convert John Hungerford Pollen, where most of the work was undertaken for Catholic churches.

[17][18][19] A caricature of Barff, contemplating a barrel of boro glycerine, appeared in an 1882 edition of Punch as No.84 of the Fancy Portraits series.

At a time when experiments in the field appeared to show little promise of success, Barff believed that ...these oils are doubtless destined to form the marine steam fuel of the future.