William Murdock (1754–1839)

Image credit: The Royal Society of Edinburgh

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Notes

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Murdock was the first to contemplate carrying coal gas through pipes and using it for artificial lighting. He wrote, 'I believe, I may without presuming too much, claim both the idea of applying and the first actual application of this gas to economic purposes'. He was a native of Ayrshire and an employee, and later a partner, in the firm of Boulton and Watt. It was while supervising pumping stations in Cornwall for his firm that he changed the spelling of his name from Murdoch. He was not a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Title

William Murdock (1754–1839)

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 108 x W 104 cm

Accession number

PCF08

Acquisition method

presented by the Edinburgh Gas Light Company, 1828

Work type

Painting

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The Royal Society of Edinburgh

22–26 George Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ Scotland

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