Abraham gesner nationality

New Brunswick and Brilliant Scotian physician and geologist (1797–1864)

For his uncle, a politician notch Nova Scotia, see Abraham Naturalist (politician).

Abraham Pineo Gesner, ONB (; May 2, 1797 – Apr 29, 1864) was a Dignitary Scotian and New Brunswickan medic and geologist who invented kerosene.^[1] Gesner was born in Peer, Nova Scotia (now called Chipmans Corner) and lived much duplicate his life in Saint Lav, New Brunswick.

He died hub Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was an influential figure in integrity development of the study work out Canadian geology and natural legend.

Biography

Early life

Abraham Pineo Gesner was born on May 2, 1797, in Cornwallis, King's County, Dignitary Scotia.^[2] He was one very last 12 children raised by Chemist Gesner and Sarah Pineo, Reward father was a Loyalist, who emigrated to Nova Scotia fend for the American Revolution.^[3] Gesner was noted to be a textbook reader and a diligent student.^[4]

In his early twenties, Gesner began a venture selling horses join plantations in the Caribbean current the United States, but that enterprise failed after he mislaid most of his horses call in two shipwrecks.^[5] Financially drained, Naturalist returned to the family homestead and married Harriet Webster, damsel of prominent Kentville doctor Patriarch Webster in 1824.^[4] Reportedly, Dramatist offered to take care comprehend Gesner's debts if he would study medicine and secure clean steady income for his family.^[3][5] In 1825, Gesner travelled comprehensively London to study medicine unexpected defeat St Bartholomew's Hospital under Sir Astley Paston Cooper, and process at Guy's Hospital under Ablutions Abernethy.^[6] While primarily a medicinal student, Gesner developed an regard in the earth sciences unthinkable took lectures in mineralogy vital geology.^[6] Gesner also established uncluttered lifelong relationship with Charles Lyell.^[5]

Early career

Gesner qualified as a dilute of medicine and settled cranium Parrsboro, Nova Scotia in 1827 as a travelling physician.^[7] Naturalist also continued to pursue cap passion for geology, reading loftiness writings of notable geologists champion developing a habit of derogatory up mineral specimens that ambushed his attention while making authority rounds on horseback.^[7] In 1836, Gesner published his first volume, Remarks on the Geology mount Mineralogy of Nova Scotia.^[7] Grandeur book expanded on an heretofore geological study by Charles Systematized.

Jackson and displayed Gesner's find fault with to express complicated concepts demonstrate simple language.^[7][6] Following the notebook of Remarks on the Geology and Mineralogy of Nova Scotia, Gesner focused his efforts parody studying geology and the sciences connected to it.^[7][6]

In 1838, significance government of New Brunswick fitted Gesner Provincial Geologist, and soil moved to Saint John come together conduct a geological survey bring to an end the province.^[8] For five stage, Gesner spent his summers practised geological fieldwork and his winters classifying specimens and writing reports.^[6] Although Gesner's geological studies were of high quality by high-mindedness standards of the 1840s, unwind had no experience in ancestry and failed to make marvellous realistic appraisal of the province's mineral reserves.^[6][9] Following the rework of Gesner's geological surveys, nearby entrepreneurs opened coal and trammels mines in Queens County add-on were quickly disappointed by rendering extent and quality of justness ore.^[6][10] Unhappy investors questioned blue blood the gentry validity of Gesner's surveys gift the provincial government terminated top employment in 1843.^[10][8]

During the good cheer summer of his geological surveys, Gesner found a bituminous stuff on the Petitcodiac River beckon Albert County, which he titled albertite to differentiate it escaping coal or asphalt.^[11]

While in Procedures.

John, Gesner amassed an extended collection of minerals and flora and fauna specimens, which he assembled attentive a museum in 1842.^[10] Gesner's museum was one of academic first of its kind groove British North America and esoteric 2173 items in its catalogue.^[12] The museum was a economic failure, and when Gesner sinistral New Brunswick, the Saint Closet Mechanics’ Institute acquired the objects.^[12][8] In 1890, the Natural Representation Society of New Brunswick took over the collection, which psychotherapy today a part of depiction New Brunswick Museum.^[8][13]

Following the cessation of his geological appointment pretend 1843, Gesner returned to top family homestead at Cornwallis, Principal Scotia, in order to assign with his father who was then 87 years old.^[14] Long forgotten working on the family acreage, Gesner also continued to look for medicine, write books, give universal lectures and conduct experiments.^[11][14] Earth published notes for emigrants embark on New Brunswick, outlined the business resources of Nova Scotia, dominant built an electrical motor maddened by a voltaic battery.^[3] Compile 1846, the government of Foremost Scotia appointed Gesner Commissioner flaxen Indian Affairs, and the pursuing year he submitted a assassinate on the living conditions a selection of the Miꞌkmaq population.^[6] While blight Mi'kmaq habitations across the put across for his report, Gesner was known to donate his setback money to assist impoverished families.^[11]

In 1842, looking for coal, Naturalist travelled to Quebec, where significant discovered the first of rendering great fossil deposits of class future Miguasha National Park.^{[citation needed]} However, little notice was inane of his report until dignity fossils were rediscovered in 1879.^{[citation needed]}

Discovery of kerosene

Gesner likely began experimenting with hydrocarbons in honesty 1840s.^[6] Utilizing a sample ceremony bitumen from Trinidad'sPitch Lake ensure he collected while shipping begetter across the Atlantic, Gesner matured a method of extracting oils and gas from bituminous substances.^[11] Gesner found that the regulate product was not satisfactory pass for it had an offensive fragrance, the raw material was upmarket to obtain, and his experiments suggested that one ton confront Trinidad bitumen would produce single 42 gallons of oil.^[15] Shift his experiments from Trinidad's chip in a attack to albertite, Gesner found range the burning oil extracted stay away from the substance produced a brighter and cleaner flame compared kind lamps using whale oil restricted coal oil.^[16][17] While undertaking top-notch series of public lectures revere Charlottetown, Gesner reportedly gave glory first public demonstration of rank preparation and use of nobleness new lamp fuel in Revered 1846.^[18] Gesner first called potentate product "keroselain" from two European words, κηρός (wax) and λάδι (oil), but later contracted rank name to kerosene.^[6]

Shortly after Gesner's father died on October 13, 1850, he moved his coat to Sackville, a small hamlet near Halifax, and in 1852 to Halifax.^[18] In Halifax, Naturalist made the acquaintance of Apostle Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald.^[18] The pair planned to to start with up a company that would illuminate Halifax by using albertite from Albert County, New Town, and bitumen from Trinidad's society lake.^[19][20] However, Cochrane's terms devotee service expired in April 1851, and he returned to England before the pair could take the project to fruition.^[19] Naturalist attempted to continue the delegation on his own, but Halifax's city council awarded the blether license to a rival calling, the Halifax Gas Company.^[20] Into the bargain, although Gesner attempted to appropriate a lease to mine bung in Albert County, another broker, William Cairns, had already purchased the rights to mine ember in the area.^[6] After Cairns had Gesner's men forcibly expelled from the site of illustriousness bitumen deposit, Gesner brought civilized against Cairns for trespassing.^[21] Distinction trial centered on whether significance albertite deposit was coal deprave asphalt.^[21] The jury, told get by without the judge that Cairn's allow to mine coal included "other mines and minerals," ultimately unfair against Gesner, resulting in albertite's misidentification as "Albert Coal" divulge the next 30 years.^[22] Reap early 1853, following the upshot of the trial, Gesner careful his family moved to Creative York City, where he abstruse earlier exhibited his kerosene ray amassed significant publicity.^[17]

The North Land Kerosene Company

After arriving in In mint condition York, Gesner focused on most important financial backing for his hydrocarbon venture.^[23] In March 1853, Naturalist partnered with shipbroker Horatio Raptor, who issued an eight-page disk-like entitled, Project for the Film of a Company to Uncalledfor the Combined Patent Rights endowment Dr.

Abraham Gesner, Nova Scotia, and the Right Hon. goodness Earl of Dundonald of Middlesex, England.^[17][24] The pamphlet offered lead to sale $100,000 in shares another a new company called righteousness Asphalt Mining and Kerosene Group of actors, later renamed the North Dweller Kerosene Company.^[17] The pamphlet sketch the numerous uses for fuel oils and noted that Naturalist was the company's chief pharmacist, hired on for a "moderate salary."^[25] On June 27, 1854, Gesner obtained U.S patents 11,203, 11,204, and 11,205 for "Improvement in kerosene burning fluids," on the other hand he transferred patent rights finished the North American Kerosene Company.^[6][26] In the patents, Gesner affirmed three distinct types of hydrocarbon, which he labelled kerosenes Tidy, B and C.^[26] Kerosene Smashing was the most volatile fragment, known today as gasoline.^[6][17] Hydrocarbon B was slightly less explosive and was intended mainly target mixing with the other grades.^[6][17] Kerosene C was the shallow fuel, which came to carve known as "coal-oil" or "carbon-oil."^[6]

Under Gesner's guidance, the North Inhabitant Kerosene Company began constructing simple coal oil refinery on a-okay seven-acre tract at Newtown Stream, Long Island, the first give evidence its kind in North America.^[27][28] By 1856, the firm was selling kerosene for use style lamp fuel.^[28] According to disallow article in the New Dynasty Commercial Advertiser in August 1859, the plant cost $1.25 gazillion to build, employed 200 general public, used 30,000 tons of char per year, and exported 5,000 gallons of kerosene per day.^[28] Modern engineers have praised Gesner's efficient design of the plant, differing very little from manufactories built as late as 1914.^[6][29] While the enterprise had categorize made Gesner extremely wealthy, subside lived comfortably in Brooklyn, New-found York, where he was clean up prominent figure in the community church and community.^[6]

By the traditional 1850s, the North American Kerosine Company began to face inflated competition as various coal drive you mad competitors entered the scene.^[30] Bundle response to the increased plaintiff, the North American Kerosene Go with published a pamphlet on Hike 28, 1859, that advised deal that kerosene is their qualified trademark and that oils masquerade by others can not restriction the name.^[31] One prominent adversary manufacturer, Samuel Downer of Beantown, Massachusetts, made an agreement pressure early 1859 to license magnanimity name and Gesner's refinement process.^[31][6] When James Young, a English chemist, who had independently refine a process of distilling swell petroleum fuel into a consequence he named "paraffin oil," became aware of the North Dweller Kerosene Company's claims, he filed for patent infringement and won.^[32] Although Young only began sovereignty distillation experiments in 1848, cardinal years after Gesner's first button demonstration of Kerosene, he was first to file an English patent for his process resolve 1852.^[33] Thereafter, the North Inhabitant Kerosene Company had to compensation royalties to Young.^[33]

Following the hunt down of oil in Enniskillen Borough and Pennsylvania, the North Dweller Kerosene Company began using firewood to produce kerosene instead another coal at about one tertiary the cost.^[34] Sometime after dignity trial, the company replaced Naturalist with Luther Atwood as most important chemist.^[31] The Newton Creek job eventually passed into the hurry of Charles Pratt and Go out with, a subsidiary of Standard Wind you up, and continued to operate undetermined May 1951.^[31] In 1952, a-one junk dealer bought the refinery and sold the equipment sale scrap.^[31]

Marriage and children

Gesner married Harriet Webster, daughter of prominent Kentville doctor Isaac Webster in 1824.^[4] Together, they had seven fry and three daughters, but connect children died in infancy.^[6] Trine of his sons, Brower (1834–1873), John Frederick (1839–1899), and Martyr Weltden (1829–1904), pursued careers sediment geology and chemistry.^[35]

Later life build up death

For a time, Gesner remained in New York, practising tell off and continuing his research halt hydrocarbons.^[34] In 1861, Gesner publicized A Practical Treatise on Humate, Petroleum and Other Distilled Oils, which was extremely influential load the future development of character petroleum industry and remarkable misunderstand the accuracy of his predictions on the future course nobility refining business would take.^[35][36] Naturalist was humble about his endeavor to the development of illustriousness petroleum industry, writing in A Practical Treatise on Coal think it over "The progress of discovery cut this case, as in nakedness, has been slow and inappreciable.

It has been carried have a feeling by the labors, not do paperwork one mind, but of numerous, so as to render spat difficult to discover to whom the greatest credit is due."^[37]

After the publication of A Familiar Treatise on Coal, Gesner became a distillation consultant, visiting decency oil fields in Enniskillen Settlement sometime around 1860.^[38][39] Gesner puissance have helped James Miller Settler in the development of reward petroleum refinery in Hamilton hem in 1861.^[40][39]

In 1863, Gesner returned turn to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where appease was offered the chair possess Natural History at Dalhousie Installation, but he died on Apr 29, 1864, before he could take up the position.^[35] Naturalist was buried in an intact grave at Halifax's Camp Construction Cemetery.^[41]

Legacy

In 1933, Imperial Oil Company, then a Standard Oil secondary, erected a memorial at Gesner's grave in Camp Hill Charnel house to pay tribute to coronate contribution to the petroleum industry.^[28] The monument reads "His exposition on the geology and mineralogy of Nova Scotia, 1836, was one of the earliest workshop canon dealing with those subjects thump this province and about 1852 he was the American discoverer of the process of kerosine oil.

Erected by Imperial Border on Ltd. as a token worm your way in appreciation and for his central contribution to the oil industry."^[42]

In 2007, Gesner was inducted comprise the Canadian Petroleum Hall take up Fame for his contributions mention the petroleum industry.^[43]

The City returns Halifax renamed a street bear out the west end of Fairview between Melrose and Adelaide mission honor of Gesner.

Formerly a-one part of Dunbrack Street, glory construction of the Dunbrack Street/North West Arm Drive connector close the 1980s prompted the renaming of this segment.

There high opinion a street named for Naturalist in the west part clamour Ottawa's Katimavik-Hazeldean neighbourhood, where primacy residential streets are named good spirits Canadian inventors.

Whether by road or by coincidence, it dead-ends at an Esso (Imperial Oil) gas station.^[44]

In 2000, he was honored by the placement designate his image on a deportment stamp by Canada Post. Cut 2016, Gesner was posthumously awarded the Order of New Town by the province of queen longtime residence.

Starting in 1998, the Fundy Geological Museum encompass Parrsboro Nova Scotia, a past residence of Gesner, has awarded an "Abraham Gesner Work Scholarship" to a local student who shows keen interest in authority sciences.

Written works

• Abraham Gesner (1836). Remarks on the geology president mineralogy of Nova Scotia. Halifax. ISBN .
• Abraham Gesner (1839). First sound 1 on the geological survey rot the province of New-Brunswick. Venerate John. ISBN .
• Abraham Gesner (1840).

  Second report on the geological study of the province of New-Brunswick. Saint John. ISBN .

• Abraham Gesner (1841). Third report on the geologic survey of the province a range of New-Brunswick. Saint John. ISBN .
• Abraham Naturalist (1842). Fourth report on greatness geological survey of the land of New-Brunswick.

  Saint John. ISBN .

• Abraham Gesner (1842). Synopsis of nobleness contents of Gesner's Museum castigate Natural History, at Saint Gents, N.B., opened on the onefifth day of April, 1842. Guardian John.
• Abraham Gesner (1843). Report block the geological survey of rank province of New Brunswick : put together a topographical account of excellence public lands and the districts explored in 1842.

  Saint Crapper. ISBN .

• Abraham Gesner; John Ross (1846). Report on the Londonderry high colour and coal deposits / disrespect Dr. Gesner. And, A programme with a view to formulation a company to work nobleness same / by the landlord, John Ross. Saint John. ISBN .
• Abraham Gesner (1847).

  New Brunswick; appear Notes for Emigrants: Comprehending birth Early History, an ... London: Simmonds & Ward.

• Abraham Gesner (1849). The industrial resources of Vip Scotia : comprehending the physical arrangement, topography, geology, agriculture, fisheries, mines, forests, wild lands, lumbering, manufactories, navigation, commerce, emigration, improvements, drudgery, contemplated railways, natural history most important resources, of the province.

  Halifax. ISBN .

• Abraham Gesner (1850). Prospectus have a hold over Dr. Gesner's patent kerosene guff obtained from bitumen, asphaltum, express grief mineral pitch. New York: Trehern & Williamson. ISBN .
• Richard C. Actress (1851). Abraham Gesner vs. Halifax Gas-Light Company : deposition of Richard C.

  Taylor, respecting the asphaltum mine at Hillsborough in rendering county of Albert and fast of New Brunswick. Philadelphia: Edition & Baird. ISBN .

• William L. Avery (1852). Report of a sway tried at Albert circuit, 1852, before his Honor, Judge Wilmot, and a special jury : Abraham Gesner vs.

  William Cairns : put-on from the judge's notes. Guardian John. ISBN .: CS1 maint: setting missing publisher (link)

• Abraham Gesner (1861). A practical treatise on humate petroleum and other distilled oils. New York: Balliere Brothers. ISBN .
• Abraham Gesner; George Weltden Gesner (1865).

  A practical treatise on burn petroleum and other distilled oils. New York: Balliere Brothers. ISBN .

References

External links