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Notes on Early Geologists connected with the neighbourhood of Bath. 

 By W. Stephen Mitchell, LL.B., F.G.S. Read February 21,* 



1872. 



The early Geologists connected -with the neighbourhood of Bath 

 of whom I propose to speak this evening are the Rev. Joseph 

 Townsend, the Rev. Benjamin Richardson, the Rev. John Josiah 

 Conybeare, and Mr. WiUiam Lonsdale. I shall probably be asked 

 "why I have not included Mr. John Walcott, who in 1779 published 

 " Descriptions and Figures of Petrifactions found in the Quan-ies 

 and Gravel-pits near Bath."t My reply is, that though the book is 

 of interest Mr. Walcott was not a Geologist. At that time Geology 

 as a science did not exist. Cosmogonies and theories of the earth 

 had been produced in abundance, some few of which are still 

 referred to as showing here and there isolated records of facts and 

 speculations on causes which accord with our present knowledge ; 

 these however have perhaps a deeper meaning to us than they had 

 to the writers themselves. But it cannot be too distinctly stated 

 that so far as England is concerned it was the discovery of 

 William Smith, and his own development of his method, which gave 

 direction to systematic observation, and led to our present orderly 

 grouping of facts ascertained. Whatever may be the judgment of 

 posterity on the theories which have since sprung out of Smith's 

 method, this will remain beyond dispute on the testimony of the 

 writers themselves, that all our great geological leaders adopted his 

 method in working out the histoiy of the districts they examined. 

 He stands the acknowledged "Father of English Geology." 



♦ The paper announced for this evening was one by Mr. McMurtrie on the 

 Carboniferous Strata of Somersetshire. That gentleman was unable to fulfil 

 his engagement, and this paper was on a short notice read from the writer's 

 note books. A brief resume appeared in the " Bath Chronicle" the following 

 morning. It has since then been put into its present form, and some additions 

 have been made, but many other engagements have prevented the writer 

 from giving it due attention before the time appointed for sending it to press. 

 As he pointed out at the time of reading, it must be regarded as a " stop- 

 gap paper" rather than as one pretending to embody all the information that 

 can be hunted out. He will be thankful to any correspondent who will put 

 him on the track of other records than those he has here used, 

 t Bath : Hazard. 



