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Count Rumford (1753–1814)
Rumford, Count (Benjamin Thompson). An American scientist, statesman, and philosopher; born at Woburn, MA, March 26, 1753; died in Auteuil near Paris, Aug. 21, 1814. He was one of the many conservatives at the outbreak of the Revolution who were driven into the British ranks outright by the patriotic harrying of impatient neighbors. After serving England for a time, he entered the service of the Elector of Bavaria, rose to the position of Minister of War, and was finally created a count of the Holy Roman Empire. He took the title Rumford from the village of that name (now Concord, NH), where he had married. He spent the last years of his life at Auteuil, engaged in scientific researches, particularly on the nature and effects of heat. His works include: ‘Essays: Political, Economical, and Philosophical’ (1797–1806); and studies in domestic economy, particularly of cookery.