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Biography

Michael Faraday is Notable.

Michael Faraday is one of the most famous scientists of modern times. Often referred to as being the man who 'invented' electricity, Faraday was the first person to discover electromagnetic induction in 1831, the principle behind the electric transformer and generator. The BBC website notes this discovery "was crucial in allowing electricity to be transformed from a curiosity into a powerful new technology." He is also famous enough to appear on the back of English £20 notes.

Michael was born on 22nd September 1791 in Newington Butts, Southwark, London, the son of James Faraday and Margaret (Hastwell) Faraday. ^[1]

He married Sarah Barnard on 12 June 1821 which is recorded in the register of St Faith's Church in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, London.^[2] (However, the church had been burnt down in 1666, see Research Notes for details). Her parents were members of the Sandemanian Church in London and Sarah and Michael had known each other since childhood.

St Faith's Church in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, London

Their marriage is listed on London Sandemanian Marriages and other links between church members. There were about 70 marriages between the families of the London Sandemanian's of which this was one.

He was a member of the Sandemanian hurch, and is included in the list of members Sandemanian members list London. According to the members list, he was born in 1791, was admitted into the church in 1821 and died in 1867, occupation Scientist. He was also a Deacon and Elder in the Church. His wife Sarah was also a member and they had grown up in the church together.

Beginning In 1818 Michael Faraday and a handful of London artisans formed a self-help group with the aim of teaching themselves how to write like gentleman. For a year and a half, this essay circle met regularly to read and critique one another’s writings. The members of the group, all linked to the Sandemanian Church in London, were Edward Barnard, Edward Deeble, Thomas Deacon and J Corder ^[3]

He is portrayed in a famous lithograph, giving a lecture to the Royal Institution. The lithograph was by Alexander Blaikley. Both were members of the church, the Sandemanian meeting house in Islington.

Detail of a lithograph of Michael Faraday delivering a Christmas lecture at the Royal Institution

On 14th March 1826 his sister Margaret Faraday (1802-1862) married John Barnard (1797-1880). The event was described by Charlotte Barnard (1805-1866), the sister to the bridegroom in a letter to her sister Elizabeth (Barnard) Reid (1794-1870). Both families were members of the Sandemanian church in London. Michael and Sarah Faraday attended the wedding and the meal afterwards was held at the Royal Institution^[4]. More details of the wedding are on the grooms profile John Barnard (1797-1880).

Margery Ann Reid was the niece of Michael Faraday and was living with the Faradays from 1830 until 1840, and working partly as a secretary for Michael ^[5]

In 1851 he was living at the Royal Institution at Albermerle Street, Hanover Square with his wife Sarah (57), his niece Jane F Barnard (8), and was described as 59 year old Professor of Chemistry.^[6].

In 1855 his father-in-law Edward Barnard died and in the Will of Edward Barnard proved 1855 his wife is named as Sarah wife of Michael Faraday. She received one eighth of her fathers estate.

In 1861 he was living at the Royal Institution at Albermerle Street, Hanover Square with his niece Jane Barnard. ^[7] Jane Barnard was a regular member of the Faraday entourage from the mid 1850's until his death in 1867. During the last few years of his life she lived with him and performed the duties of secretary and nurse. In his will Michael Faraday he calls her "my dear neice Jane who has now for many years been our affectionate companion and support" and she received a proportion of his estate which was second only to Sarah his wife^[8]

He died in 25th August 1867 and was buried at Highgate Cemetery (West) in Highgate, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England.^[9] A memorial in his honour is at Westminster Abbey.^[10]

Michael Faraday and Sarah (Barnard) Faraday's grave in Highgate Cemetery (west), Middlesex

His will was proved on 23rd October 1867, according to the Illustrated London News - Saturday 02 November 1867

The will of Professor Michael Faraday, D.C.L, F.R.S., F.G.S., of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Albemarle-street, was proved in the principal registry, Oct. 23, James Faraday, Esq., his nephew, power being reserved to Sarah Faraday, his relict, the executors. The personalty was ew’orn under £6000. Professor Faraday died Aug. 25, 1867, at his residence in Hampton Court, at the age of seventy-six. His will is entirely in his own handwriting, and is closely written on three sides of paper, briefways, and dated April 15,1861. He leaves his property chiefly to his wife ; the will is in the words to the following effect“ I request that my burial may be conducted in a moderate, sober, and inexpensive way. Considering that the source of my income will principally cease at my death, I think it but right that all my property, of whatever description, I may have the power of disposing of by will, should become my wife’s should she survive me, which I leave her, subject to some small pecuniary legacies, as a mark of affection to those who in life were dear to me.” Amongst the legatees are his sister-in-law, Margaret Faraday and her children ; his sister, Margaret Barnard and her children ; his brother-in-law, George Barnard and his children ; his nieces, Jane Barnard and Margaret Reid; Mr. Charles Anderson ; and Miss Savage, the valued and faithful housekeeper at the Royal Institution. ^[11]

Membership of the Sandemanian Church

Michael was admitted into membership of the London Sandemanian Church on 15 July 1821 according to the membership records. The records state that he was Deacon 1 June 1832, Elder 15 Oct 1840, Ex 31 March 1844 Restored 5 May 1844 restored to Elder's office Oct 21 1860 died 25 August 1867 ^[12] which means he was excluded from fellowship in March 1844 but restored 2 months later.

See London Sandemanian Church membership list 1762 – 1868 for the full membership list.

He is also included on the elders and deacons list as a Deacon in 1832 and an Elder in 1840. The record states he was excluded in 1844. His brother Robert Faraday (~1788 - 1846) was also appointed as a Deacon in 1832. See London Sandemanian Church Elders and Deacons list for the complete list ^[13].

He was also included in Geoffrey Cantor's Sandemanian members list London. According to research, he was born in 1791, was admitted into the church in 1821 and died in 1867, occupation Scientist. He was also a Deacon and Elder in the Church. His wife Sarah was also a member and they had grown up in the church together.

In 1855 the London Sandemanian Church wrote to the Church in Edinburgh to explain that they would not longer be able to have fellowship because of a disagreement over eating meat with blood in it. The Letter from the London Sandemanian Church to the Edinburgh Church was signed by 13 members of the Church in London, including Michael.

Residence

(1843) 21 Albermarle Street ^[14]

Although the church of St Faith under St Paul was destroyed in 1666 and not replaced, it looks as if the parish continued as a separate entity. The parish church was shared with St Augustine Watling Street, but it looks as if separate parish registers were maintained. It is probable that the "Religious Congregation" continued, albeit without a building of its own: the simplest solution would be to remove the 1666 end date from the category. However, the marriage cannot have taken place in the church of "St Faith under St Paul", as the church building did not exist. It must have been celebrated in St Augustine Watling Street (but recorded in the St Faith parish register). The marriage location data field should simply say "City of London, England".

Research Note

Sarah married Michael at St Faith under St Paul.

Sources

1. ↑ 1851 England Census; St George Hanover Square, Middlesex; Class: HO107; Piece: 1476; Folio: 64; Page: 35; GSU roll: 87799. Ancestry.com.
2. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Church of England Parish Registers, 1754-1931; Reference Number: P69/FAI/A/01/Ms 8887. Ancestry.com
3. ↑ Michael Faraday's Mental Exercises: An Artisan Essay-circle in Regency London, Page 10 Edited by Alice Jenkins, Liverpool University Press, 2008 Accessed from google books by Trevor Pickup on 29 December 2019
4. ↑ Letter 285, dated 18 March 1826 Correspondence of Michael Faraday Volume 1, 1811-1831 Edited by A J l James, 1991
5. ↑ Michael Faraday: Sandemanian and Scientist by Cantor, G.N. Page 263, book published in 1991 by Macmillian Academis and Professional Ltd, Referenced by Trevor Pickup on 5th August 2018
6. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGFR-R7T : 8 November 2017), Michael Farraday, Saint George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England; citing Saint George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, p. 35, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M72G-SJR : 10 December 2017), Michael Faraday, St George Hanover Square, London, Middlesex, England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
8. ↑ Michael Faraday: Sandemanian and Scientist by Cantor, G.N. Page 84, book published in 1991 by Macmillian Academic and Professional Ltd, Referenced by Trevor Pickup on 5th August 2018
9. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #325
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #20883
11. ↑ Illustrated London News - Saturday 02 November 1867 accessed from the British News Archives page 3 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001578/18671102/018/0003 accessed by Trevor Pickup on 15 dec 2018
12. ↑ London Sandemanian Church membership records Held by Dundee University Archives MS 9/1/3, Membership lists of the churches in the UK and America Page 48 Copies of originals ordered and accessed by Trevor Pickup on 15 June 2021
13. ↑ London Sandemanian Church membership records Held by Dundee University Archives MS 9/1/3, Membership lists of the churches in the UK and America Pages 59-60 Copies of originals ordered and accessed by Trevor Pickup on 23rd October 2021
14. ↑ Post office London Directory 1843 (Kelly's Directories Limited 1843 page 879)

See also:

• 'Michael Faraday - a Sandemanian and Scientist' by Geoffrey Cantor
• The Britannica Guide to The 100 Most Influential Scientists (2007), pp. 153, 159-165, 203.
• Wikipedia: Michael Faraday
• Wikidata: Item Q8750, en:Wikipedia
• Family History of the Thompson Family ( which includes the Faradays) Thompson Family on Bluegumtree.com
• Wikipedia: Glasite
• Records of the Family of Deacon, of Kettering and London, with notices of allied families