Frances Micklethwait

One of Whiteley s assistants (another being Edith Usherwood see Chap. 11) was Frances Mary Gore Micklethwait.80 Micklethwait was born on 7 March 1868, daughter of J. P. Micklethwait of Chepstow, Monmouthshire. After a private education, she attended the Swanley Horticultural College, where she gained her love of chemistry. In 1898, she transferred to the Royal College of Science, obtaining an Associateship in 1901. 

Micklethwait joined the IC research group of Gilbert T. Morgan,81 becoming one of the most prolific women authors of chemistry publications of her time, co-authoring at least 22 papers between 1902 and 1914. In his personal reminiscences, Morgan commented  

In 1904 I was joined by Miss Micklethwait, a member of this [Chemical] Society, with whom I collaborated for nine years. During this period we succeeded in arousing the interest of many senior students, about 14 of whom were included in our joint publications. The work, which covered a wide field, included various studies of the diazo reaction, the preparation of organic arsenicals and antimonials, and the examination of certain coordination compounds of coumarin.82 

At the outbreak of the First World War, Micklethwait came under the wing of Whiteley. For her war services, Micklethwait was awarded the MBE in 1918. George Kon,83 one of Micklethwait s students during the First World War (and later Professor of Chemistry), commented that Micklethwait had high expectations I soon realized that my ideas of what work meant had to be overhauled. 83 

After the War, Micklethwait worked briefly in the research laboratory of Boots Pure Drug Company and then returned to Swanley Horticultural College, where she taught until 1921, being Principal for her last year there. From then until 1927, she compiled the Index for the second edition of Thorpe s Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, the series co-edited by her friend, Whiteley. She died on 25 March 1950, aged 83 years. 

---

The Chemistry Department of the University of Sheffield was one of the major participants in organic synthesis (see Chap. 5). William Palmer Wynne assembled a team of six women chemists, including Emily Turner, Dorothy Bennett, and Annie Mathews, to synthesise P-eucaine.15 However, the most noteworthy production was that at Imperial College, in the group run by Martha Whiteley (see Chap. 3).16 Whiteley s seven assistants were all women and included Frances Micklethwait (see Chap. 3), who received an M.B.E. for her contributions to the war effort.17... 

Burstall, F. H. (1952). Frances Mary Gore Micklethwaite (1868-1950). Journal of the Chemical Society 2946-2947. 

---