Samuel More (339)

Samuel More (30 November 1726–11 October 1799) was an apothecary, administrator, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1774. Born in Westminster, England to a schoolmaster and his wife, More was educated by his father in his early years. More went on to apprentice under an apothecary in Whitechapel and afterwards opened his own business with his family inheritance. Notably, he cured the incapacitated hands of a dyer’s apprentice thereby earning himself an election to the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce in May of 1761. He served as chairman of the committee of chemistry, and in all other main committees, becoming very popular within the society. His popularity earned him the office of Secretary in 1769, which involved running in yearly elections against candidates who often ran smear campaigns in the newspaper. Nevertheless, through his tireless work ethic and popularity, More held down his office as Secretary for the rest of his life. The office enabled him to develop relationships with many of his contemporaries in scientific and industrial fields and oftentimes his peers sought his advice on technical matters. His renowned expertise led him to be summoned as witness in various high-profile trials and committees, such as the Richard Akwright patent trials that persisted throughout the 1780s. After years of good health, he began to suffer intense flare-ups of gout before dying at his home in London. (DNB)