William Hallowes Miller
Encyclopedia
William Hallowes Miller FRS
(6 April 1801 – 20 May 1880), British
mineralogist and crystallographer
.
, Carmarthen
shire. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
, where he graduated in 1826 as fifth wrangler. He became a Fellow there in 1829. For a few years Miller was occupied as a college tutor and during this time he published treatises on hydrostatics and hydrodynamics.
Miller also gave special attention to crystallography
, and on the resignation of William Whewell
he succeeded in 1832 to the professorship of mineralogy
, a post he held until 1870. Miller's chief work, on Crystallography, was published in 1839. He was elected to the Royal Society
in 1838.
Miller indices
are named after William Hallowes Miller, the method having been described in his Treatise on Crystallography (1839). The mineral
known as millerite
is named after him.
In 1852 Miller edited a new edition of H. J. Brooke's Elementary Introduction to Mineralogy. He assisted, in 1843, the committee appointed to superintend the construction of the new Parliamentary standards of length and weight.
Miller died in 1880 at Cambridge, England.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(6 April 1801 – 20 May 1880), British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mineralogist and crystallographer
Crystallographer
Crystallographer could refer to someone who practices:*X-ray crystallography*Crystallography...
.
Life and work
Miller was born in 1801 at Velindre near LlandoveryLlandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
, Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
shire. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, where he graduated in 1826 as fifth wrangler. He became a Fellow there in 1829. For a few years Miller was occupied as a college tutor and during this time he published treatises on hydrostatics and hydrodynamics.
Miller also gave special attention to crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
, and on the resignation of William Whewell
William Whewell
William Whewell was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.-Life and career:Whewell was born in Lancaster...
he succeeded in 1832 to the professorship of mineralogy
Professor of Mineralogy, Cambridge University
The Professorship of Mineralogy was a professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1808 and discontinued when its final holder retired in 1931.-Professors of Mineralogy:* Edward Daniel Clarke * John Stevens Henslow...
, a post he held until 1870. Miller's chief work, on Crystallography, was published in 1839. He was elected to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1838.
Miller indices
Miller index
Miller indices form a notation system in crystallography for planes and directions in crystal lattices.In particular, a family of lattice planes is determined by three integers h, k, and ℓ, the Miller indices. They are written , and each index denotes a plane orthogonal to a direction in the...
are named after William Hallowes Miller, the method having been described in his Treatise on Crystallography (1839). The mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
known as millerite
Millerite
Millerite is a nickel sulfide mineral, NiS. It is brassy in colour and has an acicular habit, often forming radiating masses and furry aggregates...
is named after him.
In 1852 Miller edited a new edition of H. J. Brooke's Elementary Introduction to Mineralogy. He assisted, in 1843, the committee appointed to superintend the construction of the new Parliamentary standards of length and weight.
Miller died in 1880 at Cambridge, England.
Selected writings
- William Hallowes Miller (1831) The Elements of Hydrostatics and Hydrodynamics
- William Hallowes Miller (1833) An Elementary Treatise on the Differential Calculus
- William Hallowes Miller (1839) A Treatise on Crystallography
- William Phillips, William Hallowes Miller, & Henry James Brooke (1852) An Elementary Introduction to Mineralogy
- William Hallowes Miller (1863) A Tract on Crystallography