Priestley, Joseph
Priestley, Joseph (1733-1804), British chemist, who isolated and described several gases, including oxygen , and who is considered one of the founders of modern chemistry because of his contributions to experimentation. Priestley was born on March 13, 1733, in Fieldhead, Yorkshire, the son of a Calvinist minister. Priestley trained as a minister of the Dissenting church, which comprised various churches that had separated from the Church of England. He was educated at Daventry Academy, where he became interested in physical science. His first ministry was at Needham Market, Suffolk, in 1755, and he was minister at Nantwich from 1758 to 1761. Later he became a tutor at Warrington Academy in Lancashire, where he was noted for his development of practical courses for students planning to enter industry and commerce. He also wrote a text, Rudiments of English Grammar (1761), which differed from older, classical approaches. He was ordained in 1762. Priestley was encouraged to conduct experi...