Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/630

* WILLIAMSBUKG. 538 WILLIAMSON. In addition to prizes and lionor scholarships, there is a large numljer 'of endowmunts, the iii- WIL'LIAMSBXJRG. A former city of King's County, N. V., united with Brooklyn in 1855 and now forming part of the borough of Brook- come of which, amounting to over .$11,0UU an lyn in the city of New York. "^ '"''^ ' i.-^-.i...» WILLIAMSBURG. The county-Beat of James City County. Va., 48 miles east by south of Eiehmondj on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (Map: Virginia, H 4). It is on a peninsula about midway between the James and York rivers, in a region" of great historic interest. The chief feature of the city is the William and Mary College (q.v.), the' second oldest college in the United States, having been opened in 1093. There is also the Eastern State Hospital for the Insane, erected in 17G9. Other features are Bruton Par- ish Church, dating from 1078 and rebuilt in 1715; the Powder Horn building (1714); the old court house (170'J) ; and Fort Magruder. "illiamsburg is the shipping point for the farm and garden produce of the vicinity, and manu- factures knit goods, brick, lumber, etc. There are also important fish and oyster interests. Population, in 1800, 1831; in I'JOO. 2044. Wil- liamsburg was settled in 1632, and was called Middle Plantations until 1090. In 1008 it sup- planted Jamestown as the capital of Virginia, and in 1722 obtained a city charter, the oldest in the State. Here in 1705 Patrick Henry offered his resolutions against the Stamp Act, and de- livered his famous Cajsar-Charles X. speech. In 1779 the capital was removed to Richmond. At Williamsburg, on May 5, 1862, during the Civil War, occurred the first serious engagement of the Peninsular campaign, a part of Johnston's Confederate troojis under Longstreet, which had evacuated Yorktown on May 3d, checking the pursuit of a part of the Army of the Potomac, under General Sumner. The fighting began at about 7: 30' A.M. and continued during the greater nually, is available for distribution among needy students. In 1903 the college hail an attendance of 423 students and a faculty of 30 instructors. Its endowment was .$1,168,708. its income .$110,- 130. The estimated value of the college property was $1,003,833, and of the grounds and buildings ^ $435,125. The college library contained in 1903 50,500 volumes and 17,400 pam])hlcts. The high rank of Williams as a small college is in large part due to the work and inlluence of Mark Hop- kins (q.v.), who was its president from 1830 to 1872. WIL'LIAMSON, Alexander William ( 1824- 1004 1. An eminent English chemist, born at 'aiKlswortli, near London. He was prepared for college by private masters, and entered the University of Heidelberg. From Heidelberg he went to Giessen, where he spent several years in chemical research under Gmclin and Liebig. After three years spent in studying higlier mathematics at Paris he became, in 1840, professor of practical chemistiy in Universit,y College, London, and in 1S55 was chosen also to fill the chair of pure chemistry in the same institution. A memoir pub- lished in 1850 on Etherificution and the Con- stitution of Halts attracted wide attention in the scientific world, and had a great intluence on the theories of chemical action. In addition to A Cticmistrij for Students, which attained consider- able recognition, he was the author of memoirs and papers on etherification. the atomic theory, and the composition of gases, in which he ad- vanced new and original views, now generally ac- cepted as distinct contributions to chemical knowledge. He was twice chosen president of the Chemical Society, was president of the British part of the day, gallant though ill-organized at- Association in 1873. and was elected a eorrespond- tacks being made by Federal divisions under Hooker and Hancock; but neither side gained any decisive advantage, and during the night the Confederates continued their retreat toward Rich- mond. The Federal loss in killed, wounded, and missing was 2228 : the Confederate, as reported by Longstreet. 1500. Consult a sketch of Wil- liamsburg by Lyon G. Tyler in Powell's Historic Totpns of the' Southern States (New York, 1900) ; and for the battle, Webb, The Peninsula (New York, 1881), in the "Campaigns of the Civil War Series." WILLIAMS COLLEGE. An institution of higher learning at Williamstown. Jlass., char- tered in 1703. It was developed from a free school established by the will of Col. Ephraim Williams (q.v.). The studies of the Fresh- man year are prescribed, with a wide election of courses in the remaining years. Admission is by examination or by certificates from approved schools. A student who is able to anticipate at entrance two college courses may complete the required work in three ,vears. The degrees of B... and ^l.A. are conferred, and jiartial courses are provided for special students. All o.vamina- tions are conducted on the honor system. The laboratories are supplied with the best modern appliances. The astronomical department pos- sesses two observatories, the Hopkins and the Field Alemorial. Among the other buildings are the Lasell Gymnasium and a college infirmary. ing member of the French Institute. In 1887 he resigned his chairs and was elected professor emeritus. WILLIAMSON, Hugh (1735-1819). An American physician and legislator. He was born in West Nottingham, Pa., graduated at the Col- lege of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) in 1757, studied theology and ])reached for two years (1759-01), was professor of mathematics in the College of Philadelphia from 1700 to 1703, studied medicine at Edin- burgh and Utrecht, and subsequently attained eminence as a ph^'sician in Philadelphia. He visited the West Indies (1772) and England (1773) in behalf of the Newark (D<d.) Acad- emy, and in February, 1774, was examined on colonial matters by the Privy Council. After s|)ending some time on the Continent, he removed first to South Carolina and then to North Caro- lina. He served as surgeon in the North Carolina militia in 1780-82. was a member of the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1785 and in 1787-88, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and to the State convention which ratified the Federal Constitution in 1789, and was a member of Congress from 1700 to 1703, when he removed to New York City. He pul)lislu'd several essays on Paper Currenetj ( 1786) : a Discourse on the Benefits of Ciril His- tory (1810); Observations on the Climate of