xiii 



beneath the South-Eastern part of England," which was laid before 

 the Geological Society in 1854, Godwin- Austen not only made the 

 subject especially his own, and exhibited his exceptional ability for 

 dealing with geological problems of the greatest intricacy, but be 

 accomplished what was perhaps the highest service to science at that 

 time, by convincing those who had not paid special attention to the 

 subject, that geology was now entitled to take its place in the family 

 of sciences, and was no longer, as the world generally regarded it, a 

 mass of crude theories and baseless speculations. When, in the fol- 

 lowing year, a deep boring at Kentish Town demonstrated the accu- 

 racy of Godwin- Austen's reasonings, and established the truth of his 

 conclusions, it was felt that lustre had been reflected upon the science, 

 no less than upon its able votary. 



During his later years, Godwin- Austen was prevented by ill-health 

 from taking so constant and active a part in the management of 

 the Geological Society as formerly. His devotion to science was, 

 however, unabated. Almost every year he accompanied a party of 

 geological friends on some Continental tour ; and several of these 

 excursions gave rise to thoughtful and suggestive essays. In 1862 

 he received from the Geological Society the Wollaston Medal. He 

 also completed the revision of the south-eastern portion of the 

 Greenough Geological Map of England and Wales, for the second 

 edition, which was published in 1865. In 1868, at Norwich, he filled 

 the Chair at the Geological Section of the British Association, deal- 

 ing in a characteristic address with the geological history of the Basin 

 of the North Sea. At the Brighton meeting in 1872 he occupied the 

 same position, and discoursed upon the history and relations of the 

 Wealden deposits. 



In 1872, after the death of his father, Godwin-Austen went to reside 

 at Shalford House. In spite of physical infirmity, he took an active 

 part in the preparation of the Report of the Coal Commission, of 

 which he was a member, and in the movement which resulted in the 

 experimental sub-Wealden boring at Battle. He was almost to the 

 last an energetic and useful member of the magisterial bench and of 

 the county-boards of his native district. On the 25th November, 

 1884, he passed away, after a protracted illness, his death occurring 

 in the house of his birth, the place where he had spent the earliest 

 and latest years of his active and useful life. 



Among his numerous family several sons have distinguished them- 

 selves in the military profession, and his eldest son, Lieutenant-Colonel 

 God w r in- Austen, F.R.S., availing himself of opportunities of scientific 

 study during many years of work upon the Topographical Survey of 

 India, has made large contributions to our knowledge of the geology 

 and zoology of that country. J. W. J. 



