96 Miscellaneous — Monument to William Smith, LL.D. 



A monument has just been erected by the Earl of Dncie, F.R.S., 

 F.G.S., to the memory of William Smith, at Churchill, Oxfordshire, 

 where he was born ; a village already famous as the birthplace of 

 Warren Hastings. 



The monument is formed of huge Oolitic ragstones of the district, 

 similar to the Rollright stones. The name " Oolite " was given by 

 William Smith to the rocks of the formation of which the higher 

 grounds in this locality are a part. 



This view of 'William Smith's Monument at Churchill has been prepared from a 

 photoo^raph taken by Lord Moreton, to whom we are indebted for permission to 

 reproduce it here. 



It is a monolith standing on a double base. The lower base is 

 10^ feet square, and 3:^ feet high, the upper one is 6J feet square, 

 and 2^ feet high. The monolith stands 9 feet high above the 

 upper base, and is about 3 feet square. A marble slab is inserted 

 in the side facing the road from Chipping Norton, and bears this 

 inscription: — "In Memory of William Smith, 'The Father of British 

 Geology'; Born at Churchill, March 23rd, 1769; Died at Northamp- 

 ton, August 28th, 1839. Erected by the Earl of Ducie, 1891." 



