Somerset Wildlife Trust is celebrating the life and work of a pioneering scientist, this weekend.
Wednesday July 6 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Andrew Crosse � the �scientific squire� of Fyne Court, Broomfield.
Crosse�s former home, at the southern end of the Quantock Hills, is now home to the wildlife trust�s visitor and education centres and an exhibition about the �Thunder and Lightning Man� is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
It was the scientist�s experiments with electricity that earned him his nickname and reputation with local people � some of whom went so far as to claim he was in league with the devil.
He would string copper wire across the grounds of his home to attract lightning and explored such possibilities as preserving vegetables or purifying sea water using electricity.
The most controversial experiment of his career was in 1836, when he found hundreds of tiny mites or �acarus� in a dish of chemicals after passing an electrical current through it.
Newspaper reports sensationalised the story, claiming Crosse has �created life�, leading to a backlash from the church and fear among members of the public.
The controversy tarnished his reputation as a respected scientist during his lifetime but led to an enduring fascination with his work. He has even been touted as an inspiration for Mary Shelley�s Frankenstein, despite his most notorious experiments coming almost 20 years after the novel�s publication.
This weekend�s exhibition will look at the man behind the myths and visitors can also enjoy Somerset Wildlife Trust�s 24-acre nature reserve, with its beautiful woodland walks.
