317 
In ittcmonam. 
HENRY CULPIN. 
(1861—1912.) 
'HE loss of an amateur worker in Science is always a heavy one 
A in a band that is diminishing in numbers, or is becoming merged 
in a crowd of professionals and semi-professionals. Culpin's death 
w^as an especially severe blow, as it was wholly unexpected, and he 
died with his chief scientific work in an unfinished state. 
Henry Culpin was born on January 25th, 1861, at AValton, near 
Peterborough, receiving his early education at the neighbouring 
village school of Werrington, and subsequently at a private school in 
Peterborough. At the age of fifteen he entered the services of the 
Great Northern Railway at Peterborough as clerk, and subsequently 
became their Chief Locomotive Accountant at Don caster. 
In the summer ot 1912, Culpin appeared to be in the pride of health 
and strength. On the 23rd December, death from heart failure 
came suddenly to him, without giving any definite premonitory signs. 
He left a widow and three children, of whom the eldest son died fighting 
in France shortly after completing a brilliant university career at 
Oxford. Culpin was a Freemason attached to St. George's Lodge, 
Doncaster. He was elected a member of the Yorkshire Geological 
Society in 1904. The best of Culpin's life was given to his employers, 
but he found time to gather a good knowledge of English literature 
and foreign languages which helped him as a debater in literary and 
political meetings in Doncaster. 
His bent towards Geology appeared late in life, and his interest 
seems to have been excited by a course of University Extension Lectures 
on the Ice Age which he attended at Doncaster ; but this constituted 
the sole help, and all his scientific knowledge and practice was self- 
acquired. At Doncaster, he quickly attained a grasp of the outstanding 
problems relating to the geology of the district, and in excursions 
farther afield his views were always illuminating and his energy untiring. 
It is chiefiy, however, in connexion with the Yorkshire Coal Measures 
that his name will be associated and his work highly valued. On this 
subject he had accumulated a vast amount of material, obtained by a 
systematic examination of every exploration for coal between Retford 
