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{{Short description|British physician, academic, philanthropist, and professor}}
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[[File:George Birkbeck 1776–1841 by Samuel Lane 1830.jpg|thumb|George Birkbeck by [[Samuel Lane]]. Oil, 1830.]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2016}}
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[[File:George Birkbeck 1776–1841 by Samuel Lane 1830.jpg|thumb|George Birkbeck by [[Samuel Lane (painter)|Samuel Lane]]. Oil, 1830.]]
[[File:George Birkbeck mausoleum Kensal Green Cemetery 02.JPG|thumb|The George Birkbeck family mausoleum at [[Kensal Green Cemetery]], London]]
[[File:George Birkbeck mausoleum Kensal Green Cemetery 02.JPG|thumb|The George Birkbeck family mausoleum at [[Kensal Green Cemetery]], London]]
Dr '''George Birkbeck''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜːr|k|ˌ|b|ɛ|k}}; 10 January 1776 – 1 December 1841)<ref>[https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24185970M/The_pedigree_of_Birkbeck_of_Mallerstang_and_Settle_Braithwaite_of_Kendal_Benson_of_Stang_End Foster 1890, Birkbeck Pedigree p.87]</ref> was a British [[physician|doctor]], [[academic]], [[philanthropist]], pioneer in [[adult education]] and founder of [[Birkbeck, University of London|Birkbeck College]].
'''George Birkbeck''' [[Royal Society of London|FRS]] ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜːr|k|ˌ|b|ɛ|k}}; 10 January 1776 – 1 December 1841) was an English [[physician]], [[academic]], [[philanthropist]], pioneer in [[adult education]] and a professor of natural philosophy at the [[University of Strathclyde|Andersonian Institute]]. He is the founder of [[Birkbeck, University of London]] and was head of the [[Chemical Society]]. He is one of the creators of the earliest chemistry laboratory for undergraduates at [[University College London]], and is also known for the creation of [[mechanics' institutes]] in Scotland and [[London]]. He was President of the [[Medical and Chirurgical Society of London]] in 1825.


==Early life and education==
==Biography==
Born to a [[Quaker]] family (his father was a merchant and banker) in [[Settle, North Yorkshire|Settle]], [[North Yorkshire]], Birkbeck went to [[Sedbergh School]] and then completed his training as a doctor at the [[University of Edinburgh Medical School]] in 1799 with an MD degree. He is of the same Birkbeck family as early 19th-century Illinois pioneer, social reformer, author, publicist and agricultural innovator [[Morris Birkbeck]].<ref>S.B. Foster, The pedigree of Birkbeck of Mallerstang and Settle, Braithwaite of Kendal, Benson of Stang End, (London: Collingridge, 1890), pp. 81-85.</ref> Before practising as a physician, however, he initially embarked on an academic career, being appointed professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institution,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} which later became the [[University of Strathclyde]] in [[Glasgow]].
Birkbeck was born on 10 January 1776 to a [[Quaker]] family in [[Settle, North Yorkshire|Settle]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]. His mother was Sarah and his father, William, was a merchant and banker.<ref name=pedigree>{{cite book | last=Foster | first=Sandys B. | title=The pedigree of Birkbeck of Mallerstang and Settle, Braithwaite of Kendal, Benson of Stang End| via=[[Open Library]]|edition= 2nd | date=1890 | ol=24185970M | url= https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24185970M/The_pedigree_of_Birkbeck_of_Mallerstang_and_Settle_Braithwaite_of_Kendal_Benson_of_Stang_End | access-date=31 December 2021|page=87, 81-85| publisher=Printed by W.H. and L. Collingridge] | url-access= registration}}</ref>


Birkbeck went to [[Sedbergh School]]{{cn|date=December 2021}} and then studied medicine at [[Leeds]] and [[London]]<ref name=nature1941>{{cite journal|title= Dr. George Birkbeck and Technical Education|journal= [[Nature (journal)| Nature]]|issue= 3761|page= 659 |date=1941|volume= 148|doi= 10.1038/148659b0|bibcode= 1941Natur.148R.659.|s2cid= 5737911|doi-access= free}} [https://www.nature.com/articles/148659b0.pdf PDF] (Note: out of copyright.)</ref> before completing his training as a doctor at the [[University of Edinburgh Medical School]] in 1799 with an MD degree.<ref name=pedigree/>
After mechanics started asking questions about the apparatus he used in his lectures, he had the idea of holding free, public lectures on the 'mechanical arts' (c 1800-1804). These Saturday evening events proved very popular and continued after his departure to [[London]], leading to the formation in 1821 of the first [[Mechanics' Institutes|Mechanics' Institute]] in Glasgow.<ref>[http://www.infed.org/walking/wa-birb.htm George Birkbeck and the London Mechanics Institute] - Infed.org</ref>


==Career==
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Working as a doctor in London in 1823, Birkbeck, along with [[Jeremy Bentham]] and MPs [[John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton|John Hobhouse]] and [[Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux|Henry Brougham]] came together to discuss the education for the working men of London. To achieve this they established the London Mechanics Institute in November 1823 - of which Birkbeck was the first president. The Mechanics Institute concept was quickly adopted in numerous other cities and towns across the UK and overseas, but his association with the ground-breaking London institution was marked by it being renamed the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution in 1866{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} (now, as [[Birkbeck, University of London|Birkbeck College]], part of the [[University of London]]).
Before practising as a physician, he embarked on an academic career, being appointed professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institute in [[Glasgow]],{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} which later became the [[University of Strathclyde]]. After mechanics started asking questions about the apparatus he used in his lectures, he had the idea of holding free, public lectures on the "mechanical arts" ({{circa|1800-1804}}). These Saturday evening events proved very popular and continued after his departure to [[London]].{{cn|date= December 2021}} His fourth annual lecture attracted a crowd of 500, and became an annual occurrence,leading to the formation in 1821 of the first [[mechanics' institute]] in [[Edinburgh]] (the [[Edinburgh School of Arts]]). These new institutions gave classes, and included libraries, and apparatus to be used for experiments and technical education.<ref name=infed>{{cite web|url=http://www.infed.org/walking/wa-birb.htm |title=George Birkbeck and the London Mechanics Institute| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817042028/http://www.infed.org/walking/wa-birb.htm |archive-date=17 August 2010| website=The encyclopaedia of informal education| date=1997| first= Mark K. |last=Smith }}</ref>


In 1804 he set up in practice in the [[City of London]] and became acquainted with [[George Grote]], [[Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux|Henry Brougham]], and "many other men of liberal ideas". In 1809 he assisted in founding the [[London Institution]].<ref name=nature1941/>


⚫
Working as a doctor in London in 1823, Birkbeck, along with Brougham, [[Jeremy Bentham]] and [[John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton|John Hobhouse]] came together to discuss the education for the working men of London. To achieve this they established the [[Birkbeck, University of London|London Mechanics Institute]] in November 1823, of which Birkbeck was the first president{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} in 1824.<ref name=nature1941/> He also laid the [[foundation stone]] of the building in 1825.<ref name=infed/>
⚫
He died in 1841 and was buried in [[Kensal Green Cemetery]], London. A monument is also to be found in St Akelda's church in [[Giggleswick]], near his birthplace in Settle.

==Death and legacy==
[[File:Memorial to George Birkbeck, St Alkelda's Church, Giggleswick - geograph.org.uk - 1891739.jpg|thumb|right|Memorial to George Birkbeck in St Alkelda's Giggleswick]]
He died on 1 December 1841<ref name=pedigree/> at his home in [[Finsbury Square]] and was buried in [[Kensal Green Cemetery]], London.

⚫
There is a monument in [[Church of St Alkelda, Giggleswick|St Akelda's Church]] in [[Giggleswick]], near his birthplace in Settle.

Birkbeck's association with the ground-breaking London Institution was marked by it being renamed the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution in 1866{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} (now, as [[Birkbeck, University of London|Birkbeck College]], part of the [[University of London]]). The College moved to its present buildings ([[Malet Street]], [[London WC1]]) in 1951, but the original foundation stone as well as a memorial tablet have been retained and are in the entrance hall.<ref name=infed/>

The mechanics' institute concept was quickly adopted in numerous other cities and towns across the UK and overseas, and Birkbeck is remembered for having been a co-founder of this model of education and philanthropy.<ref name=pedigree/>

==Family==
He married Catherine Lloyd in 1806 but she died in childbirth in 1807, leaving a son, [[William Lloyd Birkbeck]]. He remarried Anna Gardner in 1817, and they had three sons and three daughters.<ref name=pedigree/>

He is of the same Birkbeck family as early 19th-century [[Illinois]] pioneer and social reformer [[Morris Birkbeck]].<ref name=pedigree/>


==References and sources==
==References and sources==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{commons category inline|George Birkbeck}}
*{{commons category-inline|George Birkbeck}}


{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1776 births]]
[[Category:1776 births]]
[[Category:1841 deaths]]
[[Category:1841 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Settle]]
[[Category:People from Settle, North Yorkshire]]
[[Category:People from North Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge]]
[[Category:People from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:People educated at Sedbergh School]]

Latest revision as of 20:01, 30 October 2024

George Birkbeck by Samuel Lane. Oil, 1830.
The George Birkbeck family mausoleum at Kensal Green Cemetery, London

George Birkbeck FRS (/ˈbɜːrkˌbɛk/; 10 January 1776 – 1 December 1841) was an English physician, academic, philanthropist, pioneer in adult education and a professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institute. He is the founder of Birkbeck, University of London and was head of the Chemical Society. He is one of the creators of the earliest chemistry laboratory for undergraduates at University College London, and is also known for the creation of mechanics' institutes in Scotland and London. He was President of the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London in 1825.

Early life and education

[edit]

Birkbeck was born on 10 January 1776 to a Quaker family in Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire. His mother was Sarah and his father, William, was a merchant and banker.[1]

Birkbeck went to Sedbergh School[citation needed] and then studied medicine at Leeds and London[2] before completing his training as a doctor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1799 with an MD degree.[1]

Career

[edit]

Before practising as a physician, he embarked on an academic career, being appointed professor of natural philosophy at the Andersonian Institute in Glasgow,[3] which later became the University of Strathclyde. After mechanics started asking questions about the apparatus he used in his lectures, he had the idea of holding free, public lectures on the "mechanical arts" (c. 1800-1804). These Saturday evening events proved very popular and continued after his departure to London.[citation needed] His fourth annual lecture attracted a crowd of 500, and became an annual occurrence,leading to the formation in 1821 of the first mechanics' institute in Edinburgh (the Edinburgh School of Arts). These new institutions gave classes, and included libraries, and apparatus to be used for experiments and technical education.[4]

In 1804 he set up in practice in the City of London and became acquainted with George Grote, Henry Brougham, and "many other men of liberal ideas". In 1809 he assisted in founding the London Institution.[2]

Working as a doctor in London in 1823, Birkbeck, along with Brougham, Jeremy Bentham and John Hobhouse came together to discuss the education for the working men of London. To achieve this they established the London Mechanics Institute in November 1823, of which Birkbeck was the first president[3] in 1824.[2] He also laid the foundation stone of the building in 1825.[4]

Death and legacy

[edit]
Memorial to George Birkbeck in St Alkelda's Giggleswick

He died on 1 December 1841[1] at his home in Finsbury Square and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.

There is a monument in St Akelda's Church in Giggleswick, near his birthplace in Settle.

Birkbeck's association with the ground-breaking London Institution was marked by it being renamed the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution in 1866[3] (now, as Birkbeck College, part of the University of London). The College moved to its present buildings (Malet Street, London WC1) in 1951, but the original foundation stone as well as a memorial tablet have been retained and are in the entrance hall.[4]

The mechanics' institute concept was quickly adopted in numerous other cities and towns across the UK and overseas, and Birkbeck is remembered for having been a co-founder of this model of education and philanthropy.[1]

Family

[edit]

He married Catherine Lloyd in 1806 but she died in childbirth in 1807, leaving a son, William Lloyd Birkbeck. He remarried Anna Gardner in 1817, and they had three sons and three daughters.[1]

He is of the same Birkbeck family as early 19th-century Illinois pioneer and social reformer Morris Birkbeck.[1]

References and sources

[edit]
References
  1. ^ a b c d e f Foster, Sandys B. (1890). The pedigree of Birkbeck of Mallerstang and Settle, Braithwaite of Kendal, Benson of Stang End (2nd ed.). Printed by W.H. and L. Collingridge]. p. 87, 81-85. OL 24185970M. Retrieved 31 December 2021 – via Open Library.
  2. ^ a b c "Dr. George Birkbeck and Technical Education". Nature. 148 (3761): 659. 1941. Bibcode:1941Natur.148R.659.. doi:10.1038/148659b0. S2CID 5737911. PDF (Note: out of copyright.)
  3. ^ a b c Chisholm 1911.
  4. ^ a b c Smith, Mark K. (1997). "George Birkbeck and the London Mechanics Institute". The encyclopaedia of informal education. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010.
Sources
[edit]
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