Robert Warington FRS
Born in Sheerness on 7 September 1807, Robert Warington started a movement to found the Chemical Society of London in 1839, to allow professional chemists the opportunity to meet and debate in private rather than by letter or pamplets. The first meeting took place in 1841 and he served as its secretary for 10 years. In 1845 he was one of the founders of the Royal College of Chemistry, later part of Imperial College London.
He discovered the 'aquarium principle', the recognition that plants added to water in a container can release enough oxygen to support animals, as long as the number of animals is not too large. He published his findings in 1851 in the Quarterly Journal of the Checmical Society of London.
The Blue Plaque was unveiled at Warington's former home on 16 March 2025 by Gill Reid (past president of the Royal Society of Chemistry) and Warington's great, great granddaughter Sheila Salmon.
References: Wikipedia, Michael Downes
