BICKERTON, ALEXANDER WILLIAM (1842-1929) was born at Alton, Hampshire, and educated at the Grammar School there. An orphan, he was taken by an uncle to Bridgewater to be educated as an engineer. He passed through the drawing office and workshop of a railway company; and gained a prize studentship, a full certificate, and several medals at the Painswick school of art. Afterwards he entered a civil engineer's office in London, and attended the classes at South Kensington. Finding the exposure necessary for an engineer too severe for his health, Bickerton relinquished that intention and devoted his attention to science. In 1864 he established a factory in the Cotswolds to develop his woodworking inventions. There he came under the influence of Stroud and took up science teaching. In 1867 he organised technical classes at Birmingham. He obtained an exhibition in the Royal School of Mines, London, gaining three national medals, six first-class advanced Queen's prizes and seven second-class. At the end of the first year's study at the school of mines he was at the head of the list. He obtained highest place in mechanical drawing and chemistry, and second place in physics (thus winning the senior Queen's scholarship). While at the school of mines, Bickerton taught evening classes of artisans which attracted considerable attention, and the only surplus Whitworth scholarship available for evening classes was awarded to them. Bickerton accepted a post on the staff of the Hartley Institution, Southampton (1870), and later was appointed lecturer in science at Winchester College, and public analyst. His publications on the correlation of heat and electricity attracted some attention and he had offers of several university chairs. He accepted that of chemistry and physics at Canterbury College, and he came out in the Atrato (1874). As the college had not been built he gave his first lectures in the Oddfellows' hall. Bickerton's occupancy of this chair, which terminated in 1903, was distinguished by the boldness and originality of his approach to scientific problems. His theory of cosmic construction by partial impact was set forth in scientific papers from 1880 onward, attracting considerable attention and some hostility in astronomical quarters. Amongst his scientific papers were: On a new relation of heat and electricity; On temporary and variable stars; On the problem of stellar collision; On the origin of double stars, of nebulae, of the solar system and universe; and On agencies tending to alter the eccentricities of planetary orbits. In 1877 he was elected a member of the Christchurch City Council. Bickerton was an enthusiastic student of systems of education. He designed several pieces of experimental apparatus, the most successful of which was a model to represent the motions, the kinetics, and the phenomena of the solar system. The Education Department printed the first part of his book of simple experiments to enable school teachers to illustrate science teaching without costly apparatus and labour of preparation. A public fund, to which the Government contributed, enabled Bickerton to propound his theories in Great Britain. He published The Romance of the Heavens, The Birth of Worlds and Systems and other volumes expounding his researches. In 1928 Canterbury College elected him professor emeritus. He died in London on 22 Jan 1929.

Cox, Men of Mark; Cycl. NZ, iii (p); Bickerton, op. cit; Hight and Candy; Evening Post, 24 Jan, 26 Apr 1929, 7 Jan 1933 (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 50

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