Born January 2, 1765. Died March 10, 1847.

Charles Hatchett was born at a house in Long Acre, where his father carried on the business of a coachmaker. He was sent to a school known by the name of Fountayne's, situated in what was formerly called Marylebone Park. On leaving school, Mr. Hatchett continued to live for some time with his father, purposing to follow the same business; he, however, never took kindly to it, but spent the chief part of his time in perusing books of science, or in attending lectures on scientific subjects; and his father, perceiving the bent of his inclination, made him a handsome allowance, to enable him to prosecute his studies.

An amusing story is told by the Rev. Mr. Lockwood, Rector of Kingham, who was an intimate friend of Mr. Hatchett's, that one day he remembered asking Hatchett what first led him to turn his attention to the study of chemistry; he replied, that he believed it was his love for raspberry-jam; for, when quite a boy, he used to accompany his mother to the storeroom, and on one occasion, while as usual entreating for some jam, she locked the door, and putting the key in her pocket, told him he might now get as much as he could. This somewhat nettled the lad, and setting his wits to work, he remembered having read of the power of certain acids to dissolve metals. Young Hatchett accordingly purchased what he thought would suit his purpose, and applying it to the lock of the cupboard, gained an entrance, and carried off in triumph the pot of jam.

On the 24th of March, 1786, when just one-and-twenty, Mr. Hatchett married the only daughter of Mr. John Collick, of Saint Martin's Lane, and shortly afterwards, in company with his wife, visited Russia and Poland, where they remained for nearly two years. On returning to England, Mr. Hatchett established himself in a house at Hammersmith, which he fitted with an excellent laboratory, so as to be able to pursue his chemical studies. On the 9th of March, 1807, he was elected into the Royal Society, his first paper having appeared in their 'Transactions' in 1796; it was entitled, 'An Analysis of the Carinthian Molybdate of Lead, with Experiments on the Molybdic Acid; to which are added, some Experiments and Observations on the Decomposition of the Sulphate of Ammonia.' This paper was followed by fifteen others, on various subjects, exhibiting the extent and research of his chemical investigations. In one of these, published in 1802, and entitled an 'Analysis of a Mineral Substance from North America, containing a metal unknown,' Mr. Hatchett gives an account of his discovery of the metal Columbium.

During the later portion of his life, Mr. Hatchett was often called upon committees, whenever points of chemistry or other sciences were to be discussed. In 1818, he formed one of the commission, comprising amongst others Dr. Wollaston, Sir Joseph Banks, Sir William Congreve, Davies Gilbert, &c., appointed to authorize an inquiry into the best means of preventing the forgery of bank notes; he was also one of the chemists (consisting of Brande, Hatchett, Wollaston, and Young) who met at Sir Joseph Banks's house, to decide on the respective merits of Sir Humphry Davy and George Stephenson, in the matter of the safety-lamp.

Besides his scientific attainments, Hatchett possessed great conversational powers; he was good-humoured, full of drollery, and never at fault for some jocular or pleasant story, to amuse the company he might be with. At the Royal Society Club, of which he was a member, he was a great favourite, particularly with Sir Joseph Banks, who, after Dr. Johnson, used to call him a clubable man. Sir John Barrow gives the following anecdote:—That "one day, at the club, Hatchett amused us with the story of a dream, which he prefaced by saying that, although it was 'such stuff as dreams are made of,' it still contained a reality in its conclusion, which had very much distressed him. He dreamt that he had lost his way, but came to a dark and dismal-looking building, into which he passed through a forbidding sort of gate, opened by a black-looking porter, who closed it immediately after him. He walked on, and everywhere observed clumps of ill-looking people skirmishing and fighting, while a little beyond were other groups, weeping and in great distress; further on still were flames of fire. Beginning to think he had got into a very bad place, he endeavoured to retrace his steps and get out again; but the black doorkeeper refused to let him pass. A furious fight ensued, and he pummelled the negro-looking rascal, first with one fist and then with another. At length he was brought to his senses by a scream, which, to his dismay, proceeded from his poor wife, and he found that, instead of pummelling the black doorkeeper, he had given Mrs. Hatchett a black eye."

In 1809, Mr. Hatchett was elected one of the chosen few of the Literary Club, originally instituted by Dr. Johnson and Sir Joshua Reynolds; and on the death of Dr. Burney, in 1829, was appointed to the chief official station of treasurer to the club.

In 1810 he took up his residence at Belle Vue House, Chelsea, where he continued for the remainder of his life, which terminated in 1847, Mr. Hatchett having then attained the advanced age of eighty-two.—Sketches of the Royal Society and Royal Society Club, by Sir John Barrow, Bart., F.R.S. London, 1849.