2 Life of a Geologist of a Century Ago — 



chorister, on Sundays, in St. George's Colegate, the church of the 

 parish in which he lived with his mother. Here he was introduced 

 to Mr. Alderman Herring, a wealthy manufacturer, and at one time 

 Mayor of Norwich, who kindly took the lad into his warehouse, and 

 having first placed him in a school for a short time, he afterwards 

 bound him apprentice to his own business, that of weaving Camlets 

 and Bombazines. Here he gradually rose to a position of trust 

 and responsibility ; nor did he, during this period of twelve years, 

 neglect any opportunity of improving his mind, eagerly availing 

 himself of the kind permission given him by Mr. Herring to use his 

 library for study whenever he had leisure to do so. His pursuits 

 had already assumed the form they retained in later life. He 

 collected and cultivated flowers, and his room was adorned with 

 curios and shells which he bought at the old-curiosity shops in 

 the city. 



One of the first geological puzzles he endeavoured to solve was 

 a mass of flint containing Anaiicliytes, which he had noticed on a 

 cottage mantel-piece, where it was kept, well black-leaded, as an 

 ornament. And one of the books which first excited his attention, 

 and perhaps directed it to antiquarian and geological studies, was 

 Yerstegan's " Eestitution of Decayed Intelligence, in Antiquities 

 concerning the most noble and renowed English Nation," a curious 

 work, of which the first edition was published in 1605, and in 

 which the former connection between England and France was then 

 advocated. 



He not only used every opportunity of adding to his own store 

 of knowledge, but was ready to help others, for he himself taught 

 in both an evening and a Sunday school. It was whilst thus engaged 

 that he became acquainted with Joseph John Gurney, who, throughout 

 his life, proved a true friend to him. 



In 1812 Mr. Herring gave up his manufactory owing to the 

 general depression of business, but in 1814 Samuel Woodward 

 obtained a clerkship in the Norwich Union Fire Office, which he 

 held for six years, when he entered the Banking-house of Messrs, 

 Gurneys' & Co., where he remained until his death. 



In 1815 Samuel Woodward married Elizabeth, daughter of Bernard 

 Bolingbroke, Esq., of East Dereham, Norfolk, and niece of Nathaniel 

 Bolingbroke, Esq., formerly Mayor of Norwich, and of Sir John 

 Yallop, Sheriff of that city. This union resulted in a family of six 

 sons and three daughters ; but one son and one daughter died in 

 their infancy. 



After 1820, he was brought prominently under the notice of 

 Hudson Gurney, Esq., M.P., of Keswick, and Dawson Turner, 

 Esq., of Yarmouth, both Fellows of the Royal Society, and partners 

 in Gurney's Bank. It Avas to their friendly aid and encouragement 

 that he largely owed the opportunities he enjoyed for the prosecution 

 of his favourite studies, and also the success which attended his 

 labours. To them he was particularly indebted for the loan of 

 books, and for aid in his publications. 



The works of Parkinson, William Smith, and, later on, those of 



