Ferdinand Hurter was a Swiss industrial chemist who settled in England. He also carried out research into photography.
Background
Ferdinand Hurter was born on March 15, 1844 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He was the only son of Tobias Hurter, a bookbinder, and his wife Anna Oechslein. His father died when Ferdinand was aged only two and his mother worked as a nurse to support him and his sister Elizabeth. She later married her late husband's half-brother, David, and Ferdinand developed a strong relationship with his stepfather.
Education
After education at the local Gymnasium Ferdinand Hurter became an apprentice to a dyer in Winterthur before moving to Zürich to work in a silk firm. He then attended Zürich Polytechnic before going to Heidelberg University. Here he studied chemistry under Robert Bunsen and physics under Gustav Kirchhoff. He graduated Doctor of Philosophy with the highest honours in 1866.
Career
Ferdinand Hurter was offered a professorship in Aarau but declined this and, with a few letters of introduction, arrived in Manchester in 1867. He joined Henry Deacon and Holbrook Gaskell at their alkali manufacturing business, Gaskell, Deacon & Co., in Widnes, Lancashire. Here he became chief chemist and worked with Deacon to develop a process to convert hydrochloric acid, a waste by-product of the Leblanc process of making alkali, to chlorine which was then used to manufacture bleaching powder. When the Leblanc factories merged in 1890 to form the United Alkali Company, Ferdinand Hurter was placed in charge of developing a research laboratory in Widnes. This was later named after him.
Ferdinand Hurter played a part in the foundation of the Society of Chemical Industry in 1881, becoming its chairman in 1888-1890. He published 24 papers in English journals alone. He gave many lectures to try to popularise scientific subjects. As chief chemist to the United Alkali Company, despite his failing health, he travelled to a number of countries in Europe and also made one visit to the USA.
Ferdinand Hurter campaigned for free education and for the introduction of the metric system into Britain. He died at his home in Cressington Park, Liverpool and was buried in the churchyard of Farnworth church.
Achievements
Personality
Ferdinand Hurter enjoyed music and played the clarinet and piano.
Connections
In 1871 Ferdinand Hurter married Hannah Garnett of Farnworth, Widnes, with whom he had six children, one of whom died in infancy. They lived first at Prospect House in Crow Wood and later in Wilmere House, Widnes. He remained a Swiss citizen throughout his life and sent his children to receive part of their education in Switzerland.