William Higgins (chemist)

Known mainly for his speculative ideas on chemical combination, William Higgins is popular for the insights his life offers into the emergence of chemistry as a career during the British Industrial Revolution.

Despite an evident charm, his erratic behaviour and tendency to indulge personal animosities prevented him from engaging the affections of London society.

[citation needed] After a disagreement with his uncle, William left London and went to Dublin to be a chemist at Apothecaries Hall in 1792.

At the suggestion of Richard Kirwan, William became supervisor of the important Leskean Cabinet of minerals, recently acquired by the Royal Dublin Society.

[2] In 1803, William had a leave of absence from the Dublin Society, which enabled him to sit on a London committee selecting a hydrometer to measure the strength of alcoholic drinks for revenue purposes.