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James Clerk Maxwell

James Clerk Maxwell (1831 - 1879)
Photo Deutsches Museum München
James Clerk Maxwell was born in Edinburgh on June 13, 1831. His parents were clerks of Penicuik, related to the Maxwell's of Middlebie. His father had studied law, however he managed the property Glenlair. His mother originated from a cultivated and wealthy family of the Scottish land aristocracy. She died when James was eight years old. His father had inherited the Middlebie fortune and taken over the name Maxwell. In 1841, James moved to Edinburgh to attend the Edinburgh Academy, a highly elite school. James was fairly unsociable, sensitive, and almost a loner. His first piece of scientific work in 1846 focused upon the construction of the ellipse. His strict Calvinist upbringing, which demanded selfless devotion, had a stong influence on his way of life, defining his mission as a creator, and his service to his fellow man.

A further area of his work was in the field of optics, wherein he discovered the fish eye lens. Furthermore, he began to work with polarised light and birefringence.

In 1850, he went to Cambridge's Peterhouse College, then moved after one semester to Trinity College. In1854, he passed the exam as Second Wrangler (second best). He received the chair for physics at Marishal College in Aberdeen in 1856, and in 1858, he married Mary Dewar.

He received the Adam's Prize for his work on the stability of the movement of the rings of Saturn. Following this, he received the chair for physics and astronomy at King's College, London. There he had close contact with Faraday. His most fruitful years were 1860 - 1865. In 1865 he withdrew to Glenlair, since his health had worsened. He was financially independent and pursued a role as a private scholar.

In 1871, he began developing the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge in his role as professor. The year 1873 saw him write the famous 'Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism'. During the Summer of 1879, it became apparent that he was suffering from cancer. He passed away, in Cambridge at the age of 48, on November 5, 1879.

Home Science History Biographies James Clerk Maxwell

Last Update: 2010-12-15