Joseph James Coleman

Last updated April 12, 2019

Joseph James Coleman FRSE (often referred to simply as J. J. Coleman) (1838–1888) is credited with invention of a mechanical dry-air refrigeration process first used in the sailing ship ‘’Dunedin’’ and sometimes referred to (as a ship type) as Reefer ships. The process focussed upon the use of compressed air for its chilling effects.^[1] The effect, which also led to the development of air-conditioning, is known as the Bell-Coleman effect or Bell-Coleman Cycle.^[2]

The Dunedinlisten (help·info) (1876–82) was the first ship to successfully transport a full cargo of refrigerated meat from New Zealand to England. In this capacity, it provided the impetus to develop the capacity of New Zealand as a major provider of agricultural exports, notwithstanding its remoteness from most markets.

A reefer ship is a refrigerated cargo ship, typically used to transport perishable commodities which require temperature-controlled transportation, such as fruit, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products and other foods.

Life

Little is known of his life other than he began his career as an industrial chemist with Young’s Paraffin, Light and Mineral Oil Company in central Scotland. He was a Fellow of the Chemical Institute and a member of the Glasgow Philosophical Society.

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Sharing a border with England to the southeast, Scotland is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, by the North Sea to the northeast and by the Irish Sea to the south. In addition to the mainland, situated on the northern third of the island of Great Britain, Scotland has over 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

In 1877 he was approached by Henry and James Bell, brothers in the shipping company John Bell & Sons, and asked to create a refrigeration process for delivering beef across the Atlantic. This was patented later that year.^[3] Together they formed a new company, the Bell-Coleman Mechanical Refrigeration Company, in the same year. In 1879 they fitted out the first ship with the equipment and began trading. This was the SS Circassia. In 1880/81 at the request of New Zealand investors the sailing ship Dunedin was re-equipped as a refrigerated ship and became the first financially successful vessel as a freezer ship.^[4] The Bell brothers also took the new technology to the High Street, opening a series of butcher shops across Britain selling chilled meat also from 1879. This quickly grew, and within ten years they had 330 premises.

In the 1880s the Bell-Coleman Company is listed as having offices at 45 West Nile Street in the centre of Glasgow and J J Coleman was living at Fern Villa in Bothwell.^[5]

Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, and the third most populous city in the United Kingdom, as of the 2017 estimated city population of 621,020. Historically part of Lanarkshire, the city now forms the Glasgow City council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is Glasgow City Council. Glasgow is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as "Glaswegians" or "Weegies". It is the fourth most visited city in the UK. Glasgow is also known for the Glasgow patter, a distinct dialect of the Scots language that is noted for being difficult to understand by those from outside the city.

Bothwell is a conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, 9 miles (14 km) east-south-east of Glasgow city centre.

Coleman was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1886, and addressed the Society on his new process.^[6] His proposers as a Fellow included Lord Kelvin, John Gray McKendrick, James Thomson Bottomley and Sir James Dewar.^[7]

Royal Society of Edinburgh academy of sciences

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established in 1783. As of 2017, it has more than 1,660 Fellows.

Prof John Gray McKendrick FRS FRSE FRCPE LLD was a distinguished Scottish physiologist. He was born and studied in Aberdeen, Scotland, and served as Regius Professor of Physiology at the University of Glasgow from 1876 to 1906. He was co-founder of the Physiological Society.

James Thomson Bottomley was an Irish-born physicist. He is noted for his work on thermal radiation and on his creation of 4-figure logarithm tables, used to convert long multiplication and division calculations to simpler addition and subtraction before the introduction of fast calculators.

He died on 18 December 1888.

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References

↑ Minutes of Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers, 1882, p.170
↑ http://www.recentscientific.com/sites/default/files/2134.pdf
↑ The History of Foreign Investment in the United States, to 1914, Mira Wilkins, p.308
↑ "Forum Categories". meatcuttersclub.activeboard.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
↑ Glasgow Post Office Directory 1882-3
↑ "Address on Processes of Refrigeration | Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | Cambridge Core". journals.cambridge.org. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
↑ "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 | Biographical Index Part One" (PDF). 29 June 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2018.

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[1] Minutes of Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers, 1882, p.170

[2] ttp://www.recentscientific.com/sites/default/files/2134.pdf

[3] The History of Foreign Investment in the United States, to 1914, Mira Wilkins, p.308

[activeboard-4] "Forum Categories". meatcuttersclub.activeboard.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.

[5] Glasgow Post Office Directory 1882-3

[cambridge-6] "Address on Processes of Refrigeration | Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | Cambridge Core". journals.cambridge.org. Retrieved 12 February 2018.

[royalsoced-7] "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 | Biographical Index Part One" (PDF). 29 June 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2018.