288 Obituary— G. H. Morton. 



GEORGE HIGHFIELD MORTON, F.G.S. 



Born July 9, 1826. Died March 30, 1900. 



George H. Morton, the well-known Lancashire geologist, was 

 born in Liverpool in 1826, and educated at the Mechanics' Institute 

 in that city. From a child he was interested in geology, and 

 at 16 years of age he commenced to form a collection of fossils, 

 some Ammonites, obtained at that time, having first excited his 

 interest. He also purchased, and read with earnestness, an article 

 entitled " The Mineral Kingdom " in Knight's " Store of Know- 

 ledge," and "The Komance of Geology " in " Chambers' Miscellany."' 

 Other works of more importance were obtained and diligently 

 studied. In those days textbooks on scientific subjects were few in 

 number, and there were no science classes in Liverpool which young 

 Morton could attend. He continued to collect minerals, rocks, fossils, 

 and shells, which he named at the Royal Institution, Liverpool. 



In 1845 Morton examined the Boulder-claj' at Egremont, and 

 the New Red Sandstone quarries at Storeton with their wonderful 

 footprints of Clieir other him and other reptiles on the slabs of ripple- 

 marked sandstone. In 1847 he visited Holywell, where he obtained 

 a few Carboniferous fossils. In later years he worked at and 

 described this formation in great detail. He contributed his first 

 paper of importance to the Literary and Philosophical Society of 

 Liverpool in 1856, " On the Subdivisions of the New Red Sandstone 

 between the River Dee and the rise of the Coal-measures east of 

 Liverpool." He also contributed papers to the British Association, 

 the Geological Society of London, etc. In 1864 he was appointed 

 Lecturer on Geology at Queen's College, Liverpool, where he taught 

 successfully for several years. 



Most of Mr. Morton's published papers relate to home geology or 

 to the Carboniferous Limestone of North Wales. His " Geology of 

 the Country around Liverpool " was published in 1863, and a second 

 edition appeared in 1891. This work contains all his previous 

 writings on local geology. An appendix was added in 1897, giving 

 the results of constant and careful observations in the field extending 

 over fifty years. 



Mr. G. H. Morton was a member of numerous scientific societies, 

 and founded the Liverpool Geological Society in 1859. He was 

 elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London in 1858, and 

 in 1892 was awarded the Lyell Medal by the Council in recognition 

 of his long and meritorious services to geology in the work which 

 he had done around Liverpool, especially for the knowledge of the 

 Triassic and other strata of that district. 



" The Geology of the Country around Shelve," " The Carboniferous 

 Limestone of North Wales," and "The Country ai'ound Llandudno," 

 the last-named read before the Geological Society of London, well 

 illustrate the earnest and careful labours of Mr. Morton's long and 

 well-spent life. He passed away very peacefully on the 30th March 

 in his 74th year. 



