Curiosity Corner #219: The discoverer of Oxygen.

JOSEPH PRIESTLY

A commemorative stamp honouring Joseph Priestley, the discoverer
of oxygen, was issued on April 13,1983 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania,
where Priestley resided for the last ten years of his life and where he
is buried.

Priestley was a clergyman and chemist who was born in England in
1733. He wrote History of Electricity at age 33, which won him
admission to the Royal Society, and he was later awarded the Copley
Medal by the Society for his work with carbon dioxide in the
production of "sparkling water".

On August 1, 1774, he produced a new gas from mercuric oxide that
was five or six times as pure as ordinary air. This discovery led to a
meeting in Paris with the noted scientist Antoine Lavoisier, who
repeated Priestley's experiment and named the new gas "oxygen"
because of its acid-forming properties.

After living in Birmingham, Worcester and London, Priestley came
to America in 1794 to join his three sons. He built a house and
laboratory in Northumberland, where he died on February 6, 1804.
The stamp was designed by Dennis Lyall of Norwalk, Connecticut,
who based his original watercolour painting on a portrait by Gilbert
Stuart.

The slamp was printed on the gravure press in tan, yellow, red, blue,
brown and black. There were 50 stamps per pane and a six-digit plate
number preceded by the letter "A". The letter "A" before a plate
number or plate numbers indicates that the stamps were printed by
the American Bank Note Company and JW Fergusson and sons,
partnership, rather than the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

http://cjoint.com/data/fembxt4Uwa.htm

Can anyone enlighten me on the name given to the
absurdity, when a name matches an occupation?

eg: Joseph Priestly : Clergyman.

I heard it once, long ago, and promptly forgot it, long ago.
( I'll then tattoo it on my bottom, my initials are RC

You stirrer!
seems the name escapes the intelligentsia here also.

The rules change in the modern era, imo, because
that "habit" has outworn the original connection, and thus
adopts the absurd.


I could also thnk of Smith, Baker, to mention a few :-)
Probably as common as the medieval habit of naming people after their
native
village, Mr. ... (ahem) ;-)

occupational byname?

Scott out.

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Can anyone enlighten me on the name given to the
absurdity, when a name matches an occupation?

eg: Joseph Priestly : Clergyman.

I heard it once, long ago, and promptly forgot it, long ago.
( I'll then tattoo it on my bottom, my initials are RC

Sorry Scott
even the Alt Eng Usage failed to come up with anything
other than perhaps "Aptonym" or Aptronym"

another reply

I saw a church sign in Oxford that had:
Rector: The Revd. A.J.M. Saint
Churchwarden: Mrs K. Martyr


"Scott" wrote in message
. ..
occupational byname?

Scott out.

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Can anyone enlighten me on the name given to the
absurdity, when a name matches an occupation?

eg: Joseph Priestly : Clergyman.

I heard it once, long ago, and promptly forgot it, long ago.
( I'll then tattoo it on my bottom, my initials are RC

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Can anyone enlighten me on the name given to the
absurdity, when a name matches an occupation?

eg: Joseph Priestly : Clergyman.

I heard it once, long ago, and promptly forgot it, long ago.
( I'll then tattoo it on my bottom, my initials are RC

When I was in the Canadian Army a long time ago the Artillery School
Commander's name was Colonel Gunn.

Also see many references to this as an "occupational surname"

http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com...s2/surname.htm

Scott out.

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Sorry Scott
even the Alt Eng Usage failed to come up with anything
other than perhaps "Aptonym" or Aptronym"

another reply

I saw a church sign in Oxford that had:
Rector: The Revd. A.J.M. Saint
Churchwarden: Mrs K. Martyr


"Scott" wrote in message
. ..
occupational byname?

Scott out.

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Can anyone enlighten me on the name given to the
absurdity, when a name matches an occupation?

eg: Joseph Priestly : Clergyman.

I heard it once, long ago, and promptly forgot it, long ago.
( I'll then tattoo it on my bottom, my initials are RC

Also see many references to this as an "occupational surname"

Thanks Scott,
that was interesting, speak Gaelic do you ?

During my investigations into Caravelles, at one point
during the evolution from the Arab Dhow, special carpenters
were used called "Castlewrights" whose job it was to
erect wooden castles fore and aft used in times of conflict.
Height was very important for advantage, and boarding purposes.
The Forcastle has become Foc'sle, and the aft, has become the "Poop deck"
Dont let the influence you that it comes from Latin

"Rod" wrote in message
...
Also see many references to this as an "occupational surname"

Thanks Scott,
that was interesting, speak Gaelic do you ?


Actually, I'm a hobbit, though I do speak a bit of elvish.

Like many here, I enjoy the odd bit of research, especially if it helps in
answering someone's question.

Scott out.