Faraday to James Copcutt   9 January 18601

Albemarle St. | 9 January 1860

Sir

I have received your note2 and read your pamphlet3. There is nothing in either which makes it at all desirable to me to see your apparatus;- for I have not time to spare to look at a matter two or three times over. In referring to Major Fitzmaurice I suppose you refer also to his application to the Trinity House. In that case I shall hear from him through the Trinity House - he has however certain enquiries (which I have no doubt have gone to him long ago through the Trinity House) to answer before I shall think it necessary to take any further steps in the matter4. With these however I suppose you have nothing to do.

Are you aware that many years ago our Institution was lighted up for months if not years together by oil gas, (or as you call it Olefiant gas) compressed into cylinders to the extent of 30 atmospheres and brought to us from a distance. I have no idea that the Patent referred to at the bottom of page 9 could stand for an hour in a court of law5. I think too, you are wrong in misapplying the word olefiant[.] It already belongs to a particular gas and cannot without confusion be used as you use it[.]

I am Sir | Your obedient Servant | M. Faraday

J. Copcutt Esqr.

Unidentified.
Copcutt (1859).
Copcutt’s Patent 1859-413 for “Improvements in Obtaining Light from Gases”.

Bibliography

COPCUTT, James (1859) The (Hon. Major Fitzmaurice's) Grand Oxy-olefiant, or Life Light, as used to illuminate the royal fleets at Cherbourg. The domestic and portable gas, as prepared from oil, grease, coal, &c. The oxy-hydrogen lime, Drummond, Bude, and electric lights, explained, London.

Please cite as “Faraday3708,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday3708