In 1 88 1 he was elected to the newly established Chair of 

 Geology and Mineralogy at the Mason College, Birmingham, his 

 title being afterwards modified at his own request to that of 

 Professor of Geology and Physiography. Here he took part in 

 the development of the College which resulted in the establishment 

 of the University of Birmingham in 1900, received the official degree 

 of M.Sc., and held the Professorship till his retirement in 1913. 

 The University conferred on him the title of Emeritus Professor 

 in 1914. 



In 1882, and again in 1884, he was awarded the Lyell Fund, 

 and in 1887 the very distinguished honour of the Bigsby Medal, 

 by the Geological Society. On the occasion of the presentation 

 of this medal the President, Professor J. W. Judd, remarked : 

 " The late Dr. Bigsby established a medal to be awarded to one 

 'not too old for further work, and not too young to have done 

 much/ That you admirably comply with the latter qualification 

 every geologist knows, but that your age could possibly fall below 

 the limit prescribed by the founder of the medal, anyone not 

 personally acquainted with you might be pardoned for doubting." 



Aberdeen University created him LL.D. in 1884, and in 1888 

 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which awarded 

 him a Royal Medal in 1891 and placed him on the Council in 1895. 

 In 1892 he served as President of the Geological Section of the 

 British Association. He went on to the Council of the Geological 

 Society in 1894 ; in 1899 received the highest award of that Society, 

 the Wollaston Medal ; and in 1902 became its President. In 1900 

 he served on the Departmental Committee on the Geological Survey, 

 and from 1902 to 1905 on the Royal Commission on Coal Supplies. 

 In 1905 he received the Wilde Medal of the Manchester Philo- 

 sophical Society, and in 1912 was made honorary LL.D. of the 

 University of Glasgow. 



After an illness lasting several months he died on March I3th, 

 1920, in his 78th year, and was buried by his own desire at the 

 Lodge Hill Cemetery, near Birmingham. 



