were published in the 'Journal of the Chemical Society' between 1872 and 1875. Papers on a similar subject, 'The Chemistry of the Secondary Batteries of Plants and Faure,' which were communicated to 'Nature' (1882–3), appeared in 1883 in volume form.
As reformer and promoter of education, Gladstone holds high rank. He was a pioneer of technical education and manual instruction, and one of the earliest advocates of the introduction of science into elementary schools. From 1873 to 1894 he sat on the London School Board, being vice-chairman from 1888 to 1891. In 1868 he contested the parliamentary representation of York as a liberal, but was unsuccessful, and though he was frequently asked to stand for other constituencies (cf. Life of Lord Kelvin, p. 701), his membership of the school board remained his only public office. To this he gave time and thought liberally, and as chairman of the school management and the books and apparatus committees he was responsible for many of the changes in the curriculum and improvements in the methods of education, which he described in the memorandum he contributed to the 'Life and Letters of Professor Huxley' (i. 350). He was an ardent advocate of spelling reform, and succeeded in 1876 in getting the school board to pass a resolution in its favour. The Spelling Reform Association was started in 1879 after a meeting in his house.
Gladstone was active in philanthropic and charitable work, and keenly interested in Christian endeavour, organising devotional meetings and bible classes among educated men and women. He was a vice-president of the Christian Evidence Society, and wrote and lectured frequently for it on Christian apologetics. He published 'The Antiquity of Man and the Word of God' (anonymously) (1864); 'Theology and Natural Science' (1867); 'Points of Supposed Collision between the Scriptures and Natural Science' (1880) (in Christian evidence lectures, 2nd ser.); and 'Miracles' (1880) (ib. 4th ser.). He was one of the earliest collaborators with Sir George Williams [q. v. Suppl. II] in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association, with which he was connected from 1850; he was specially active in its international relationships.
Gladstone died at 17 Pembridge Square, Netting Hill, London, on 6 Oct. 1902, and is buried in Kensal Green cemetery. He was twice married: (1) in 1852, to Jane May (d. 1864), only child of Charles Tilt, the publisher, by whom he had one son and six daughters; (2) in 1869, to Margaret, daughter of David King, LL.D. [q. v.]; she died in 1870, leaving a daughter. A cartoon portrait of Gladstone by 'Spy' appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1891.
Besides the works mentioned Gladstone was author of:
- A memorial volume on his first wife (privately printed), 1866,
- 'Michael Faraday,' 1872 (often reprinted), a work inspired by intimate personal knowledge and friendship.
- 'Spelling Reform from an Educational Point of View,' 1878 (2nd edit. 1879).
- 'Object Teaching,' 1882.
He contributed to the 'Memoirs' issued by the Egypt Exploration Fund papers on the composition of the metals found in the course of the explorations (cf. the volume on 'Dendereh,' 1900). He also wrote a few hymns, which have been included in collections like 'Hymns for Christian Associations.'
[Proc. Roy. Soc, vol. 75, 1905; Trans. Chemical Soc, April 1905; Nature, 16 Oct. 1902; Phonetic Journal, 2 Jan. 1897; private information.]
GLAISHER, JAMES (1809–1903), astronomer and meteorologist, born at Rotherhithe on 7 April 1809, was son of James Glaisher, who soon removed with his family to Greenwich. There the boy, whose opportunities of education were slender, made the acquaintance of William Richardson, an assistant at the Royal Observatory, then under the direction of John Pond [q. v.], astronomer royal. Glaisher visited the observatory and was deeply impressed by Pond's delicate manipulation of the scientific instruments. A younger brother John became a computer in the observatory. From 1829 to 1830 James worked on the ordnance survey of Ireland under Lieut.-col. James. The occupation was thoroughly congenial, but serious illness brought on by exposure terminated the engagement. In 1833 Prof. (afterwards Sir George) Airy [q. v. Suppl. I], then director of the Cambridge University observatory, appointed Glaisher an assistant there, and with the equatorial he made a series of observations of the position of Halley's comet at its return in 1835. On 18 June 1835 Airy became astronomer-royal at Greenwich, and Glaisher followed him to the Royal Observatory on 4 Dec. He was succeeded at Cambridge by his brother John, who ten years later was assistant to Dr. John Lee (1783–1866) [q. v.] at Hartwell House, Aylesbury, and died in 1846.
