Talk:Humphry Davy

Regarding this second revert. what does WP:MOS say about the positioning of a reference for a blockquote? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:10, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

The sources now seem to have settled at the end of the block, which I think is correct. Perhaps it doesn't really matter. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:04, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

It seems an oversight to compose such a comprehensive article about Davy with only passing references to Michael Faraday, one of the foremost physicists of our time. Davy's attempts to repress Faraday seem, to me, worthy of a section rather than a hand-wave. Shabd sound (talk) 19:05, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

I agree. I have added a paragraph on this rivalry to the section 'Final Years', giving quotes from Cantor's Faraday bio referring to this topic, to counterbalance what seems to me an unduly charitable (to Davy) interpretation of that relationship in the existing first paragraph of that section. 67.249.83.179 (talk) 23:20, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

I gave no reference for "Davy's greatest discovery was Faraday" being said by others, not by Davy himself as stated by the existing paragraph #1, also without reference. It seemed fair to counter one unsourced anecdote with another one. I read this many years ago, in roughly the form, "it used to drive Davy crazy, that people said his greatest discovery was Faraday", but I don't now remember where I read this. I never heard this other, more Davy-favorable version that Davy said this himself, until reading it here, also unsourced. Given Davy's vanity and his overt rivalry with Faraday, the more charitable account also seems the less plausible. David Knight in Gooding and James (ed) 'Faraday Rediscovered' p. 33 says, "It has been said of Bergman and of Davy that their greatest discoveries were Scheele and Faraday. This is a rather backhanded kind of compliment. Davy at least would not have relished it ...." Still missing is a reference to someone saying this within the lifetimes of Davy or Faraday. Bhm1968 (talk) 01:28, 30 September 2024 (UTC)

Neither the ODNB chapter by David M. Knight, nor his 1992 book Humphry Davy: Science and Power mention this appointment. In fact page 176 of the book says: "He had to withdraw from the infant Geological Society because of Banks's opposition to a potential rival..." Neither does it appear at the Society's own history page here. So unless some good source can be found, I'd suggest it should be removed as a mistake. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:28, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

@Martinevans123: He did rejoin later. "On April 7, 1809, Mr. Greville and Mr. Humphry Davy resigned their memberships ; but it is satisfactory to know that Davy rejoined the Society six years later (1815)". See Woodward, Horace B. (1907). The History of the Geological Society of London. London: Geological Society. p. 29.. DuncanHill (talk) 22:38, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

Mr Greville, by the way, was Charles Francis Greville. DuncanHill (talk) 22:42, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

Many thanks for that info, Duncan. Looking at those 22 instances of Davy in that source, I can't see any mention of him being made a Fellow, and if anyone ought to know, they did? Martinevans123 (talk) 09:01, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

From the Royal Charter of 1825 onwards members ARE Fellows. Per the History page linked above "In 1824 the Council of the Society decided to apply for a Royal Charter. A draft was prepared and on 23 April 1825 the Charter (displayed in the Council Room) was granted, under the Great Seal, by King George IV to the Rev William Buckland, Arthur Aikin, John Bostock MD, George Bellas Greenough and Henry Warburton, who were nominated as the first Fellows of the Society for the purpose of 'Investigating the Mineral Structure of the Earth' and who were empowered to elect other suitably qualified persons as Fellows of the Society. At the following meeting of the Council the existing 367 members of the Society were appointed as Fellows." DuncanHill (talk) 12:01, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

Oh, I see. Many thanks for clarifying. That's a big surprise and explains why there is no separate table of "Fellows" at the society website. So Davy became a Fellow on the date of that Council meeting (presumably in 1825) and the accolade may be included in both article main body text and lead section. Maybe a footnote could explain that detail? Martinevans123 (talk) 12:10, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

Have now added that book source as a ref. Not sure if the detail over that meeting of 23 April 1825 is worth a mention. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:16, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Hello,

The article mentions "The Larigan, or Laregan, river is a stream in Penzance." ("Laregan" is a human settlement according to Wikidata : Q116888040) but also mentions "One winter day he took Davy to the Lariggan River to show him that rubbing two plates of ice together developed sufficient energy by motion to melt them" ("Lariggan River" is mentionned on Wikidata : Q116887152).

~2025-31274-33 (talk) 15:33, 1 January 2026 (UTC)

Article states that Davy was "the eldest of the five children of Robert Davy". However two paragraphs later says "While becoming a chemist in the apothecary's dispensary, he began conducting his earliest experiments at home, much to the annoyance of his friends and family. His older sister, for instance, complained his corrosive substances were destroying her dresses".

I checked the source, which can be found [here](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Davy,_Humphry) and it says "'This boy Humphry is incorrigible. He will blow us all into the air,' and his eldest sister complained of the ravages made on her dresses by corrosive substances."

So I believe the "Eldest sister" means the oldest sister, but not older than Humphry himself. I cannot easily find this sister's name though. ~2026-14721-11 (talk) 20:43, 7 March 2026 (UTC)