Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/194

  as simple metals.' It is clear that Chenevix formed an alloy of palladium (supposed to be platinum) and mercury, and that Wollaston, continuing the researches which his rival had originated, was fortunate in separating the mercury, and showing the world a 'simple metal' of a very remarkable character. The Royal Society in 1803 adjudged the Copley gold medal to Chenevix 'for his various chemical papers printed in the "Philosophical Transactions."'

In 1808 Chenevix was resident in Paris, and he published in vol. lxv. of the 'Annales de Chimie' 'Observations in Mineralogical Systems,' which he subsequently republished in a separate form. At this time the naturalists were divided between Werner and Ilaiiy. Chenevix strongly advocates the specification of Haiiy. Werner takes chemical composition as his guiding principle. Daily adopts the physical condition of the surface. This work was translated into English by 'a member of the Geological Society,' (supposed to be Mr. Weaver) in 1811.

M. D. Aubuisson, in a letter to M. Berthollet in the 'Annales,' criticised the conclusions of Chenevix, who replied in some 'Remarks' appended to the translation of his book. On 4 June 1812 Chenevix was married to the Countess of Ronault.

Chenevix is also author of the 'Mantuan Revels,' a comedy 'Henry the Seventh,' an historical tragedy, and 'Leonora,' and other poems which are reviewed in the 'Edinburgh Review' for 1812. A posthumous work in two volumes was published in 1830, called 'An Essay upon Natural Character.' The 'Royal Society's Catalogue of Scientific Papers 'gives the titles of twenty-eight papers on investigations which Chenevix had most zealously pursued, and nine other chemical memoirs were published in France. Chenevix was a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, of the Irish Academy, and of several learned societies on the continent.

He possessed remarkable mental activity and great industry, and appears to have been an amiable and charming companion. He left no family. He died on 5 April 1830.

 CHEPMAN, WALTER (1473?–1538?), Scottish printer, burgess and merchant in Edinburgh, divides with Andrew Myllar the honour of being the first printer in Scotland, though Myllar is entitled to be called the first Scottish printer. The years of Chepman's birth and death are not precisely known, probably 1473-1538. His name, frequently misspelt Chapman, was by himself always written and printed Chepman. He first appears in 1494, when a payment of 20l. was made to him and Stobo by the treasurer for their services as clerks in the office of the king's secretary, and there are similar entries in 1496. Stobo, his fellow-clerk, was Sir William Reid of Stobo, a churchman and notary, who had served in the office in the reign of James II and III, from whom he got a pension in 1474; so Chepman was no doubt his assistant, and probably owed to him his introduction to the court of James IV and the circle of poets whose chief, William Dunbar, was a friend of Stobo, whom he calls 'Gud, gentle Stobo,' in his 'Lament for the Makaris.' This training in the duties of a writer in days when writing was an art, and under Patrick Panter, the royal secretary of this period, was a useful preparation for the future printer. Chepman was himself probably a notary, but the identity of a Walter Chepman so described in several writs of this period with the printer is not certain. It is not known how long he remained directly in the royal service, but in 1503 he had a present of a suit of English cloth on the marriage of James IV to Margaret of England, which, like Dunbar, he probably attended, and he is still styled servitor of the king in 1528. Long before this he had begun the more profitable business of a general merchant trading in wood for ships, and in wool, cloth, velvet damasks, and other stuffs imported from abroad. His success appears from frequent purchases of land. In May 1505 he bought Ewerland, a forty-shilling freehold in the manor of Cramond, in 1506 the life-rent for himself and wife of Meikle Jergeray in Perthshire, and in 1509 Prestonfield, then called Prestfield, on the south of Arthur Seat. Besides, he had property near the Borough Muir, and houses in the town of Edinburgh, at one of which, at the foot of the Blackfriars Wynd in the Cowgate, the first printing-press in Scotland was set up by him and Andrew Myllar. His own house was at the top of the same wynd in the High Street. While Chepman supplied the money Andrew Myllar is proved, by the researches of Mr. A. Claudin of Paris and Dr. R. Dickson of Carnoustie, to have supplied the skill, which he had acquired in France, then one of the chief centres of Printing. He is the printer of two very scarce books, one publisheci in 1505, and the other in 1506. Both, according to Mr. Claudin, to whom we owe their discovery, were printed 