▁industry . ▁ ▁He ▁wrote ▁the ▁article ▁on ▁pap erm aking ▁for ▁the ▁Encyclop ædia ▁Britannica . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 8 1 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁learn ▁the ▁pap erm aking ▁trade ▁at ▁St ▁Mary ▁C ray , ▁Kent , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁either ▁L ay ' s ▁or ▁Hall ' s ▁mill ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁C ray . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁of ▁June ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁he ▁ran ▁as ▁a ▁Rad ical ▁free - tra de ▁candidate ▁in ▁Edinburgh , ▁defe ating ▁the ▁inc umb ent ▁Wh ig ▁Thomas ▁Bab ington ▁Mac a ul ay . ▁His ▁initial ▁election ▁was ▁declared ▁null ▁and ▁void ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁a ▁party ▁to ▁a ▁government ▁contract , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁a ▁second ▁election ▁that ▁December . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁election ▁in ▁second ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot , ▁and ▁returned ▁uno pp osed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁election . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁stand ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁and ▁retired ▁from ▁politics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁of ▁Scotland . ▁He ▁then ▁lived ▁at ▁Mount ▁G range ▁a ▁large ▁house ▁in ▁the ▁G range ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁Edinburgh . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁at ▁West er ▁Le a , ▁a ▁villa ▁in ▁Murray field , ▁Edinburgh ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁March ▁