524 OBITTJ^K,"Z'. 



♦ 



SIR RICHARD JOHN GRIFFITH, BART., 



LL.D., F.R.S.E., F.G.S., M.INST.C.E., M.R.I.A. 



Born 27 September, 1784; Died 22 September, 1878. 



IN the early days of the present century, Geology, like the " Dark 

 Continent," was but little known, and every man was his own 

 guide in the new science. Eoads were few and imperfect, and 

 guides were wanting; whilst barriers of ignorance and prejudice 

 blocked the way at the very outset. 



Now all is changed — the pioneers of our science have done their 

 work grandly and well, and prejudice has given place to favour and 

 public recognition. But by far the larger number of those grand 

 original workers and thinkers, to whom we owe so much, have 

 laid down their hammers and pens and have passed away. 



To the names of William Smith, Greenough, MacCulloch, De la 

 Beche, Scrope, Lyell, Sedgwick, Murchison, Phillips, must now be 

 added that of the venerable Sir Eichard Griffith. 



Born in Hume Street, Dublin, on the 27th September, 1784, 

 Eichard GriiSth was, at an early age, placed by his father in the 

 best public school in that city; and later on, in 1797, he proceeded 

 with his studies under the tuition of the Eev. Mr. Moore, of Donny- 

 brook. As soon as the completion of his education permitted, he 

 obtained a commission in the Irish Artillery ; but when, after the 

 Act of Union had passed, the Irish Artillery became merged in the 

 British forces, his father conceived it to be more to his son's advan- 

 tage that he should resign his commission and devote himself to 

 Civil Engineering and Mining. In order to prosecute his studies 

 more successfully, he visited Cornwall, where he had the good for- 

 tune to obtain an early reputation for acumen by discovering at the 

 Dalcoath mine rich ores of nickel and cobalt, which had previously 

 been rejected as of no value. Lord Dunstanville, the owner, was so 

 delighted at the discovery, that he proposed to make Lieutenant 

 Griffith general manager and superintendent, but he modestly de- 

 clined, preferring to extend the range of his knowledge by a care- 

 ful survey of the mining districts of Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and 

 Northumberland. Thence he continued the pursuit of practical mining 

 and surveying into Scotland, studying for a time in Edinburgh under 

 such eminent men as Sir James Hall, Professors Playfair, Jameson, 

 Hope, and others. Here his rising abilities were held in such high 

 estimation, that, at the early age of 23, he was unanimously elected 

 a Fellow of the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh. In 1808 he returned 

 to Ireland, and commenced his professional career by the publica- 

 tion of a work, under the auspices of the Eoyal Dublin Society, 

 entitled " Geological and Mineralogical Examination of the Leinster 

 Coal-field," which was completed in 1814. In 1809, the Commis- 

 sion appointed to inquire into the practicability of draining and im- 

 proving the peat-bogs and mosses of Ireland, selected Mr. Griffith to 

 be one of their engineers. In 1812 his Surveys and Eeports were 

 published by authority of Parliament. He was at this time ap- 

 pointed to succeed the late eminent Chemist and Mineralogist, 



