DALTON
1766-1844
JOHN DALTON, the founder of the chemical atomic theory, was born at Eaglesfield, Cumberland, on 5th September 1766. He was a Quaker, and the son of Joseph and Deborah Dalton; and he attended the village schools until he was eleven years of age. He was a steady-going, thoughtful, and industrious boy.
In 1778 he began to teach in a school at Eaglesfield, but had great trouble to maintain discipline owing to some of his pupils being as old as himself. Disputes were often settled by exhibitions of physical force displayed in the neighbouring churchyard. Three years later he gave up the school, and went as assistant to his cousin, George Bewley, at Kendal, which position he occupied four years. At the end of this time Bewley retired, and the school was continued by the brothers, John and Joseph Dalton, but as teachers they were not popular owing to their uncouth manners.
After leaving Kendal, Dalton went to Manchester as a science tutor to the Manchester New College then exist-
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