Playfair, Lyon, c 1843-1847

From a typed note pasted on the page: "Playfair, Sir Lyon, first Baron Playfair of St. Andrews (1818-1898); brother of Sir Robert Lambert Playfair [q. v.]; educated at St. Andrews; studied chemistry under Thomas Graham [q. v.] at Glasgow; assistant to Graham at University College, London; Ph.D. Giessen; honorary professor of chemistry to Royal Institution, Manchester, 1842-5; chemist to Geological Survey and professor in new school of Mines, Jermyn Street, London, 1845; F.R.S., 1848; president of Chemical Society, 1857-9; took part in organising Great Exhibition, 1851; C.B., 1851; secretary for science to Department of Science and Art, 1853, and secretary for science and art, 1855-8; professor of chemistry at Edinburgh, 1858-69; liberal M.P. for universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews, 1868-85; postmaster-general, 1873; chairman and deputy-speaker for House of Commons, 1880-3; K.C.B., 1883; liberal M.P. for South Leeds, 1885-92; vice-president of council, 1886; raised to peerage, 1892; lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, 1892; G.C.B., 1895. He made important investigations on the nitroprussides, a new class of salts which he discovered. [Suppl. iii. 270]".