Michael Faraday was born in 1791 at Newington Butts,
Surrey, England (Now Elephant and Castle, London) into the family of a Yorkshire blacksmith, James Faraday, and his wife Margaret Hastwell. James was sickly and could earn barely enough to house and feed the family of two sons and two daughters. But Margaret, a strong and kindly woman, ensured that they did not want for care and
affection.
Michael attended day school where he learned, in his own words, ‘the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic’.
In 1821 Michael married Sarah Barnard, a warm and charming person who became his perfect helpmate for the rest of his life, even though she never pretended to understand his work. They had no children so Sarah’s maternal instincts were transferred to her husband and their several nieces and nephews.
Although famous in his time and an important public figure, Faraday was a modest man who did not seek honour or acclaim, even refusing Queen Victoria’s offer of a knighthood. He was warm, gentle and kindly towards others and on occasions excitable and fiery, but always strongly disciplined and focused on his work.
As a member of a strict Christian sect, the Sandemanians, Faraday had a strong religious faith. It was these beliefs which drove his scientific endeavours as he sought to uncover the secrets of what he believed was God’s ordered creation.
Surrey, England (Now Elephant and Castle, London) into the family of a Yorkshire blacksmith, James Faraday, and his wife Margaret Hastwell. James was sickly and could earn barely enough to house and feed the family of two sons and two daughters. But Margaret, a strong and kindly woman, ensured that they did not want for care and
affection.
Michael attended day school where he learned, in his own words, ‘the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic’.
In 1821 Michael married Sarah Barnard, a warm and charming person who became his perfect helpmate for the rest of his life, even though she never pretended to understand his work. They had no children so Sarah’s maternal instincts were transferred to her husband and their several nieces and nephews.
Although famous in his time and an important public figure, Faraday was a modest man who did not seek honour or acclaim, even refusing Queen Victoria’s offer of a knighthood. He was warm, gentle and kindly towards others and on occasions excitable and fiery, but always strongly disciplined and focused on his work.
As a member of a strict Christian sect, the Sandemanians, Faraday had a strong religious faith. It was these beliefs which drove his scientific endeavours as he sought to uncover the secrets of what he believed was God’s ordered creation.
The Man
Faraday portraits
c. 1825
c. 1835
c. 1855
c. 1845