Ranford, Paul F; (2025) Reappraising the Historiography of the Physical Sciences in the Nineteenth Century: A case study of Sir George Gabriel Stokes, Bt. (1819-1903). Masters thesis (M.Phil), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis critiques the historiography of the nineteenth century physical sciences, mainly through a case study relating to Sir George Gabriel Stokes, Bart., Joint-Secretary of the Royal Society of London from 1854 to 1885 and President from 1885 to 1890. Stokes was regarded as a giant of the physical sciences by those now regarded as the geniuses of the time. They went to him for advice; he was, for many, their teacher, mentor and trusted confidant. They deferred to his authority on what was publishable and thus on what science gained epistemic credibility. Despite this, the historiography on Stokes and more broadly in the nineteenth-century physical sciences lacks detailed focus on Stokes (and others) and can be inaccurate. My central argument is that the historiography, with few exceptions, puts the spotlight on a handful of ‘hero’ scientists (Faraday, Kelvin, Maxwell and some others) recognised for groundbreaking work. It mainly avoids other figures who were responsible for infilling, confirming and communicating the results of that work and who thereby contributed significantly to the development of the physical sciences. These individuals have attracted less than a proper share of historical attention. Exploration of primary sources reveals that the historiography of even the ‘hero’ scientists generally lacks attention to important detail. I consider other important historical sources that have not yet been incorporated into the literature despite several opportunities for historians to do so. Overall, I show that the historiography suffers from a failure of focus that would help provide a more rounded – a less privileged – view of the development of nineteenth-century physical science. I discuss the complex reasons for Stokes’s reduced visibility in the historiography, seek to restore his reputation as a major contributor to Victorian physics and consider how primary sources might be better made available to help historians with these materials in future.

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