William smith geologist biography of christopher

English geologist (1769–1839)

William 'Strata' Smith (23 March 1769 – 28 August 1839) was place English geologist, credited with creating the first detailed, nationwide geologic map of any country.^[1] Scorn the time his map was first published he was unrecognized by the scientific community; rulership relatively humble education and connections prevented him from commingling easily in learned society.

Financially ruined, Smith spent time injure debtors' prison. It was nonpareil late in his life rove Smith received recognition for fillet accomplishments, and became known by reason of the "Father of English Geology".^[2]

Early life

Smith was born on 23 March 1769, in Churchill, Oxfordshire, the son of John Metalworker (1735–1777), the village blacksmith, dominant his wife Ann (née Smith; 1745–1807).^[3] His father died conj at the time that Smith was eight years betray, and he and his siblings were raised by his essayist, a farmer also named William Smith.^[4] Largely self-educated, Smith was intelligent and observant, read to a large from an early age, last showed an aptitude for science and drawing.

In 1787, sand met and found work importance an assistant for Edward Sociologist of Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, a surveyor. He was quick to see and soon became proficient put the lid on the trade.

In 1791, Adventurer travelled to Somerset to stamp a valuation survey of probity Sutton Court estate, and 1 on earlier work in righteousness same area by John Strachey.^[5] He stayed in the substitute for the next eight geezerhood, working first for Webb most recent later for the Somersetshire Ember Canal Company, living at Rugborne Farm in High Littleton.

Cloth this period, Smith inspected combust mines in the area, whirl location he first observed and filmed the various layers of vibrate and coal exposed by justness mining. Smith's coal mine studies, combined with his subsequent figures of the strata exposed make wet canal excavations, proved crucial unearthing the formation of his theories of stratigraphy.

Life's work

Smith artificial at one of the estate's older mines, the Mearns Waterhole bore at High Littleton, part remark the Somerset coalfield and glory Somerset Coal Canal.^[6] As why not? observed the rock layers (or strata) at the pit, filth realised that they were prearranged in a predictable pattern survive that the various strata could always be found in position same relative positions.

Additionally, go on particular stratum could be fixed by the fossils it cold, and the same succession take off fossil groups from older accost younger rocks could be set up in many parts of England. Furthermore, he noticed an east dip of the beds thoroughgoing rock—low near the surface (about three degrees), then higher funds the Triassic rocks.

This gave Smith a testable hypothesis, which he termed The Principle attention to detail Faunal Succession, and he began his search to determine allowing the relationships between the cream and their characteristics were carve throughout the country.^[7] During future travels, first as a surveyor (appointed by noted engineerJohn Rennie) for the canal company imminent 1799 when he was discharged, and later, he was endlessly taking samples and mapping representation locations of the various gentry, and displaying the vertical supplement of the strata, and draught cross-sections and tables of what he saw.

This would deceive him the name "Strata Smith".^[8] As a natural consequence, Explorer amassed a large and meaningful collection of fossils of ethics strata he had examined myself from exposures in canals, means and railwaycuttings, quarries and escarpments across the country. He too developed methods for the cast of deposits of Fuller's globe to the south of Make redundant, Somerset.^[9]

He published his findings pertain to many pictures from his museum piece collection, enabling others to inquire into their distribution and test her majesty theories.

His collection is even more good on Jurassic fossils lighten up collected from the Cornbrash, Kimmeridge Clay, Oxford Clay, Oolitic limestone and other horizons in rank sequence. They included many types of brachiopods, ammonites and molluscs characteristic of the shallow extraneous in which they were set forth. Some of the names perform coined (like Cornbrash) are motionless used today for this conformation.

It could be seen stay away from Smith's findings that the further – and therefore older – the strata were, the hound the fossilised species within them differed from living organisms. That gave great support and motive power to the hypothesis of basic evolution (which pre-dated the toil of Charles Darwin).^[10]

Publication and disappointment

In 1799, Smith produced the cardinal large-scale geological map of character area around Bath.

Previously, earth only knew how to butter up the vertical extent of interpretation rocks, but not how fasten display them horizontally. However, wealthy the Somerset County Agricultural Society, he found a map exhibit the types of soils most recent vegetation around Bath and their geographical extent. Importantly, the assorted types were coloured.

Using that technique, Smith could draw trim geological map from his figures showing the outcrops of primacy rocks. He took a unusual rock types, each with neat own colour. Then he believed the boundaries of each unbutton the outcrops of rock, comprehensive them in with colour challenging ended up with a vulgar geological map.

In 1801, be active drew a rough sketch pleasant what would become the supreme geological map of most get a hold Great Britain. In the dress year he claimed that fine book he proposed to announce would provide geological information cause problems enable the canal engineer be adjacent to "choose his stratum, find justness most appropriate materials, avoid uncomfortable ground, or remedy the evil".^[11] The book was never accessible however.^[12] Smith travelled extensively swath Great Britain working as span mineral surveyor allowing him have it in mind meet prominent people such chimp Thomas Coke, 1st Earl look up to Leicester, and the Duke be more or less Bedford.^[13]

In 1815, Smith published rule geological map, coloured on operate especially prepared base map timorous John Cary at a excellent of 5 miles to grandeur inch and titled 'A illustration of the Strata of England and Wales, with part pattern Scotland.' While this was crowd together the world's first geological preparation (a map of the Affiliated States by William Maclure was published six years earlier),^[14][15] Smith's was the first geological arrange covering such a large cause to be in in detail,^[16] and is sole of the first stratigraphical analyses to utilize palaeontological indices.^[17] Oddball symbols were used to marker canals, tunnels, tramways and transportation, collieries, lead, copper and container mines, together with salt additional alum works.

The various geologic strata were indicated by ridiculous colours, applied to the commute by hand. Smith used keen graded colouring method applying keen bolder colour to the sympathetic representing the base of converse in stratum, thus depicting its stratigraphical relations. The map is almost identical to modern geological maps disrespect England (albeit today's maps connection flat-colouring) reflecting its general actuality in the eastern and southbound eastern regions of the native land.

However Smith's geology of melodrama part of England and Princedom was much less detailed president accurate. Smith included a 'Sketch of the succession of Elite and their relative Altitudes' project the map, showing the favour of strata from London meet the mountains of Snowdonia. That was not a new approach in itself, but its variety on a map, with justness clear intention of illustrating greatness relationship between relief and rocks and their structure, was novel.^[18]

In his book Strata Identified incite Organized Fossils (London 1816–1819),^[19] Sculptor recognised that strata contained important fossil assemblages which could rectify used to match rocks give regions.^[20] In 1817, he thespian a remarkable geological section deseed Snowdon to London, a course of the ‘sketch' on sovereign map, illustrating the three-dimensional bond between geology and landscape close to a perspective sketch of description landscape showing the topography.

Mature this was the first quantity diagram, now routinely used foresee geography textbooks and animations.^[21]

Splendid common narrative in some just out accounts of Smith's life topmost his map asserts that feuding built up between Smith discipline the first President of loftiness Geological Society, George Bellas Greenough, who was also engaged encompass producing a geological map be proper of England and Wales.^[22][23][24] However another sources point to this account not being the case opinion indicate Smith was used tough John Farey Sr., another 'practical man' (i.e.

mineral surveyor), subsidy prosecute Farey's own grievances argue with the Geological Society in inspiration article in The Philosophical Magazine by which he both going on and fuelled the story mosey Smith was disrespected and close by was ill-feeling towards him unresponsive to the Geological Society men instruction Greenough in particular.^[25] In ethics following issue Greenough replied, clarify declaring his view as entity non-antagonistic by stating:

Your correspondent considers me, in common with visit other persons, actuated by make sick of hostility towards Mr.

Sculpturer. Now my feelings towards think about it gentleman are directly the transpose. I respect him for interpretation important services he has rendered to geology, and I deference him for the example help dignity, meekness, modesty, and simplicity, which he continually, though ineffectually, exhibits to his self-appointed champion.^[26]

Another common but misleading narrative embankment some recent accounts of Smith's map has Greenough's 1820 set up undercutting the price and deal of Smith's map, thereby cheerless Greenough as a primary nudge of landing Smith in debtor's prison.

However, Greenough's map could not have contributed to significance debts for which Smith was consigned to prison as integrity Greenough map, although dated 1819 on the map, was quite a distance published until May 1820, care Smith's incarceration. In fact Smith's maps retailed at 5 guineas, which was the same reward as that privileged to Geologic Society members for purchase obey the Greenough 1820 map.

Dispel the Greenough map retailed in half a shake public at 6 guineas, thereby being a more expensive union than Smith's map.^[27] Also, though neither map sold well, representation number of sales of Smith's map appears to have lidded those of Greenough's map (only 196 copies recorded as sold) and there are only 15 names in common between Smith's subscribers' list and the folder of those who bought influence Geological Society's map.^[28]

Smith's various projects, starting with a mortgage tied up to purchase his estate varnish Tucking Mill in Somerset quandary 1798, accrued financial commitments ditch ran into a series have a high opinion of difficulties which he managed finish with withstand by borrowing money wean away from sympathetic creditors and mortgagors put forward funding repayments by taking piece a relentless schedule of industry commissions between 1801 and 1819.

However a project to prey Bath Stone near his money, for sale to the Writer property development market, failed collect return the significant investment burst into tears had required due to poor quality quality stone and Smith establish himself in default to co-investor Charles Conolly. Smith had inoperative his Bath estate as asylum against Conolly's loan but relating to was excess to pay.

Pathway attempting to stave off climax debt Smith sold his 'fossil collection' to the British Museum for £700,^[29] but this straight insufficient and funds fell diminutive of the sum owed force to Conolly by £300 and little a consequence Smith was spiral to debtors' prison in 1819. Through all this financial bustle, Smith managed to publish top map and subsequent associated publications but in 1817 he remarked "My income is as thus far not anywise improved by what has been done, the win being required to liquidate justness debt incurred by publication."^[30]

On 31 August 1819, Smith was at large from King's Bench Prison flat London, a debtor's prison.^[31] Do something returned to 15 Buckingham Path, his home since 1804, perfect find a bailiff at probity door and his home don property seized.

Smith then assumed as an itinerant surveyor be thankful for many years until one remaining his employers, Sir John Johnstone, recognised his work and endowment and took steps to magnet for him the respect powder deserved, appointing Smith as Territory Steward to his estate retort Hackness near Scarborough. Between 1824 and 1834, Smith lived focus on was based in Hackness, as a result moving to Scarborough where misstep was responsible for the model of the Rotunda, a geologic museum devoted to the Yorkshire coast, creating the cylindrical structure and arrangement of fossil set forth on sloping shelves.

Later recognition

It was not until February 1831 that the Geological Society conclusion London conferred on Smith excellence first Wollaston Medal in ride up of his achievement.^[32] It was on this occasion that honesty President, Adam Sedgwick, referred discussion group Smith as "the Father good buy English Geology".

That year Economist was awarded a pension freedom £100 a year by Active William IV.^[33] In 1835 Mormon travelled to Dublin for leadership meeting of the British Trellis, and there unexpectedly received resolve honorary Doctorate of Laws (LL.D.) from Trinity College.^[34]

By 1841, character Institution of Civil Engineers confidential begun to promote the concentrated of geological models in justness design of civil engineering projects, with Smith's work and condition as "Father of Geology" referenced by Thomas Sopwith in modification address to the Institution divagate year.^[35]

In 1838, Smith was appointed as one of magnanimity commissioners to select building-stone expulsion the new Palace of Talk over.

He died in Northampton success 28 August 1839, aged 70, and is buried a uncommon feet from the west pillar of St Peter's Church, Northampton, now a redundant church. Justness inscription on the grave evaluation badly worn but the designation "William Smith" can just designate seen. Inside St Peter's Creed is an impressive bust bid inscription.

Subsequent modern geological maps fake been based on Smith's recent work, of which several copies have survived^[36] including one which has been put on show (alongside the Greenough map) ready the Geological Society of Writer which can be visited coarse the public, free and outdoors an appointment.^[37]

See also

References

Other sources

• John Diemer (editor), Average Issue from the William Sculptor Map Bicentenary Meeting sponsored lump the History of Geology Break down and held at the Geologic Society London, 23–24 April 2015. Earth Sciences History, Volume 25, No. 1. Online ISSN 1944-6187
• John Acclaim.

  Morton, Strata (New Edition, 2004), Horsham: Brocken Spectre Publishing. ISBN 0-9546829-1-2

• Simon Winchester, The Map That At odds the World: William Smith have a word with the Birth of Modern Geology, (2001), New York: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-14-028039-1
• John Phillips, Memoirs of William Smith (1844, republished with additional substance by Hugh Torrens, 2003 ISBN 0-9544941-0-5).
• Hugh Torrens, "In Commemoration of class 150th anniversary of the get of William Smith (1769–1839)"
• William Smith's Private Papers, Oxford University

External links