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To Geologists the interest in Mr. Richai-dson depends principally 

 on the fact that he was one of the first scientific friends of Mr. 

 William Smith, and, together with Mr. Townsend, laboured 

 successfully to bring his woi'k into notice. Mi-. Townseud has 

 further an independent claim on our attention, from having, in 

 1812, published his "Vindication of Moses," which was the first 

 attempt at a connected account of the different strata of this 

 country viewed in the light of William Smith's discovery. A 

 notice of the Rev. J. J. Conybeare would probably find a more fit 

 place in the pages of a Literary Club ; but the geological work 

 which he did, though small in amount, shows great judgment, and 

 he was so intimately acquainted with the prominent members of 

 the early Geological School at Oxford, we cannot pass by him 

 without a brief notice. Mr. William Lonsdale, so recently 

 removed from among us, must have a place in this paper, 

 although it is confined to early Geologists, for he was a curator 

 of our Bath Museum as far back as the year 1825. 



Rev. Joseph Townsend. 



Sources of Information. — The only connected account of Townsend 

 which I know is a short obituary notice in the " Gentleman's Maga- 

 zine" for November, 1816. It is reprinted almost verbatim in the 

 first volume of " The Annual Biography and Obituary." This says 

 nothing of him until the time of his taking his degree at Cambridge. 

 " Dodsley's Annual Register," vols. 12-16, contains many notes of 

 diffei'eut members of the family. Several notices of his preaching 

 during the years 1765-1779 are scattered through the life of the 

 Countess of Huntingdon. His " Vindication of Moses" has furnished 

 all my knowledge of his geological work. I have also found infor- 

 mation in Warner's Literary Recollections," " Phillips' Memoir of 

 Smith," "Hunter's Connection of Bath with the Literature and 

 Science of England," and have obtained dates from newspapers, 

 calendars, and the tablet at Pewsey Church, but have not had an 

 opportunity of seeing his " Travels in Spain." 



His Family. — His father was Chauncey Townsend, a merchant of 

 Austin Friars, who was for many years M.P. for Westbury, in Wilt- 

 shire, and afterwards sat for Wigtown, in Scotland, being the first 



