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William Smith (geologist)
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==Publication and disappointment== [[File:Bust of William Smith, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.jpg|thumb|150px|Bust of Smith, in the [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]]]] In 1799, Smith produced the first large-scale [[geological map]] of the area around Bath. Previously, he only knew how to draw the ''vertical'' extent of the rocks, but not how to display them ''horizontally''. However, in the Somerset ''County Agricultural Society'', he found a map showing the types of soils and vegetation around Bath and their geographical extent. Importantly, the differing types were coloured. Using this technique, Smith could draw a geological map from his observations showing the outcrops of the rocks. He took a few rock types, each with its own colour. Then he estimated the boundaries of each of the outcrops of rock, filled them in with colour and ended up with a crude geological map. [[File:Geological map Britain William Smith 1815.jpg|thumb|William Smith's 1815 map ''<nowiki/>'A delineation of the Strata of England and Wales, with part of Scotland.''']] In 1801, he drew a rough sketch of what would become the first geological map of most of [[Great Britain]]. In the same year he claimed that a book he proposed to publish would provide geological information to enable the canal engineer to ''"choose his stratum, find the most appropriate materials, avoid slippery ground, or remedy the evil"''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sheppard |first=T. |date=1917 |title=William Smith: His Maps and Memoirs. |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/geological-magazine/article/abs/william-smith-his-maps-and-memoirs-by-thomas-sheppard-msc-fgs-curator-of-the-hull-museum-pp-75253-the-original-pagination-is-retained-with-48-plates-and-other-illustrations-hull-a-brown-sons-1920/DD9E4AB4A809BD1505CBC5DAEFA45BD8 |journal=[[Geological Magazine]] |language=en |volume=57 |issue=9 |pages=75-253 |doi=10.1017/S0016756800106648 |issn=1469-5081 |url-access=limited |access-date=9 December 2024}}</ref> The book was never published however.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Henkel |first=D.J. |date=1982 |title=Geology, geomorphology and geotechnics |url=https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/10.1680/geot.1982.32.3.175 |journal=Géotechnique |language=en |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=175–194 |doi=10.1680/geot.1982.32.3.175 |issn=0016-8505 |url-access=subscription |access-date=9 December 2024}}</ref> Smith travelled extensively across Great Britain working as a [[mineral exploration|mineral surveyor]] allowing him to meet prominent people such as [[Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (seventh creation)|Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester]], and the [[Duke of Bedford]].<ref name=Memoirs>{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=John |title=Memoirs of William Smith |date=1844 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |page=54 |edition=First |url=https://archive.org/stream/memoirsofwilliam00philrich#page/54/mode/2up |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref> In 1815, Smith published his geological map, coloured on an especially prepared base map by [[John Cary]] at a scale of 5 miles to the inch and titled ''<nowiki/>'A delineation of the Strata of England and Wales, with part of Scotland.'<nowiki/>'' While this was not the world's first geological map (a map of the United States by [[William Maclure]] was published six years earlier),<ref>[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Maclure, William|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]]</ref><ref>Greene, J.C. and Burke, J.G. (1978) “The Science of Minerals in the Age of Jefferson”. ''Transactions of the American Philosophical Society'', New Series, Vol. 68, No. 4, pp. 1–113 [39]</ref> Smith's was the first geological map covering such a large area in detail,<ref>{{cite web |title=William Smith's Geological Map of England |url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8733 |work=Earth Observatory |publisher=NASA |access-date=23 February 2013|date = 10 May 2008}}</ref> and is one of the first stratigraphical analyses to utilize palaeontological indices.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gillispie|first=Charles Coulston|url=https://archive.org/details/edgeofobjectivit00char|title=The Edge of Objectivity: An Essay in the History of Scientific Ideas|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1960|isbn=0-691-02350-6|page=295}}</ref> Conventional symbols were used to mark canals, tunnels, tramways and roads, collieries, lead, copper and tin mines, together with salt and alum works. The various geological strata were indicated by different colours, applied to the map by hand. Smith used a graded colouring method applying a bolder colour to the edge representing the base of each stratum, thus depicting its stratigraphical relations. The map is similar to modern geological maps of England (albeit today's maps use flat-colouring) reflecting its general accuracy in the eastern and south eastern regions of the country. However Smith's geology of western part of England and Wales was much less detailed and accurate. Smith included a '''Sketch of the succession of STRATA and their relative Altitudes''<nowiki/>' on the map, showing the disposition of strata from London to the mountains of Snowdonia. This was not a new technique in itself, but its appearance on a map, with the clear intention of illustrating the relationship between relief and rocks and their structure, was novel.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hawley|first=Duncan|date=2016|title=Spotlight on William Smith's 1815 geological map: 'A delineation of the strata of England and Wales with part of Scotland...'|journal=Geography|volume=101(part1)|pages=35–41|doi=10.1080/00167487.2016.12093981}}</ref> In his book ''Strata Identified by Organized Fossils'' (London 1816–1819),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/strataidentifie00smit | title=Strata identified by organized fossils | accessdate=30 May 2024 | author=Smith, William | date=1816 | via=[[Smithsonian Libraries and Archives|Smithsonian Libraries]]}}</ref> Smith recognised that strata contained distinct fossil assemblages which could be used to match rocks across regions.<ref name=palmer>{{cite book | last=Palmer|first=Douglas|year=2005|title=Earth Time: Exploring the Deep Past from Victorian England to the Grand Canyon|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0470022214}}</ref> In 1817, he drew a remarkable geological section from Snowdon to London, a development of the ‘sketch' on his map, illustrating the three-dimensional relationship between geology and landscape via a perspective sketch of the landscape showing the topography. Effectively this was the first block diagram, now routinely used in geography textbooks and animations.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hawley|first=Duncan|date=2016|title=Spotlight on William Smith's 1815 geological map: 'A delineation of the strata of England and Wales with part of Scotland ...'|journal=Geography|volume=101(part1)|pages=35–41|doi=10.1080/00167487.2016.12093981}}</ref> [[File:1833-SmithW.png|thumb|150px|Silhouette of Smith, 1833]] A common narrative in some recent accounts of Smith's life and his map asserts that rivalry built up between Smith and the first President of the [[Geological Society]], [[George Bellas Greenough]], who was also engaged in producing a geological map of England and Wales.<ref name=Winchester>{{cite book |last= Winchester |first= Simon |year=2001 |title= The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology |publisher= Viking Penguin |isbn= 978-0-670-88407-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/lapworth-museum/collections/maps/index.aspx |title=Map Collections|website= Lapworth Museum of Geology |publisher=University of Birmingham |access-date=10 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Lot 121, Greenough (George Bellas), A Geological Map of England & Wales by G. B. Greenough Esq. F.R.S., President of the Geological Society, published by the Geological Society, 2nd edition, November 1st. 1839 |url= http://issuu.com/jammdesign/docs/dw_31_jan_2018_high_res?e=1975639/57537539 |website= Dominic Winter Auctions Printed Books, Maps & Documents 31 January 2018|publisher=Dominic Winter Auctions|access-date=10 February 2018}}</ref> However original sources point to this narrative not being the case and indicate Smith was used by [[John Farey Sr.]], another 'practical man' (i.e. mineral surveyor), to prosecute Farey's own grievances against the Geological Society in an article in ''[[The Philosophical Magazine]]'' by which he both started and fuelled the story that Smith was disrespected and there was ill-feeling towards him by the Geological Society men and Greenough in particular.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Farey|first=John Sen Mineral Surveyor|date=1819|title=Free remarks on the Geological work of Mr Greenough|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1430944|journal=Philosophical Magazine|volume=54|issue=256|pages=127–132|doi=10.1080/14786441908652198}}</ref> In the following issue Greenough replied, publicly declaring his view as being non-antagonistic by stating:{{blockquote|Your correspondent considers me, in common with many other persons, actuated by feelings of hostility towards Mr. Smith. Now my feelings towards that gentleman are directly the reverse. I respect him for the important services he has rendered to geology, and I esteem him for the example of dignity, meekness, modesty, and candour, which he continually, though ineffectually, exhibits to his self-appointed champion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Greenough|first=G.B.|date=1819|title=Observations on certain free remarks by Mr. Farey published in the last number of the Philosophical Magazine. |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1430946|journal=Philosophical Magazine|volume=54|issue=257|pages=205–206|doi=10.1080/14786441908652212}}</ref>}} Another common but misleading narrative in some recent accounts of Smith's map has Greenough's 1820 map undercutting the price and sales of Smith's map, thereby citing Greenough as a primary cause of landing Smith in [[debtor's prison]]. However, Greenough's map could not have contributed to the debts for which Smith was consigned to prison as the Greenough map, although dated 1819 on the map, was not published until May 1820, after Smith's incarceration. In fact Smith's maps retailed at 5 guineas, which was the same price as that privileged to Geological Society members for purchase of the Greenough 1820 map. However the Greenough map retailed to public at 6 guineas, thereby being a more expensive purchase than Smith's map.<ref name=Geological>{{cite book |year=1820|title=Minutes of 7 January|publisher=Geological Society}}</ref> Also, although neither map sold well, the number of sales of Smith's map appears to have topped those of Greenough's map (only 196 copies recorded as sold) and there are only 15 names in common between Smith's subscribers' list and the list of those who bought the Geological Society's map.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sharpe|first1=Tom|title=William Smith's 1815 Map, a delineation of the strata of England and Wales: its production, distribution, variants and survival |journal=Earth Sciences History|date=2016|volume=35|issue=1|pages=47–61|doi= 10.17704/1944-6187-35.1.1}}</ref> Smith's various projects, starting with a mortgage taken to purchase his estate at Tucking Mill in Somerset in 1798, accrued financial commitments that ran into a series of difficulties which he managed to withstand by borrowing money from sympathetic creditors and mortgagors and funding repayments by taking on a relentless schedule of work commissions between 1801 and 1819. However a project to quarry Bath Stone near his property, for sale to the London property development market, failed to return the significant investment it had required due to poor quality stone and Smith found himself in default to co-investor Charles Conolly. Smith had used his Bath estate as security against Conolly's loan but there was excess to pay. In attempting to stave off his debt Smith sold his 'fossil collection' to the [[British Museum]] for £700,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Eyles|first1=Joan|title=William Smith: The sale of his geological collection to the British museum|journal=Annals of Science|date=1967|volume=23|issue=3|pages=177–212|doi=10.1080/00033796700203276}}</ref> but this proved insufficient and funds fell short of the sum owed to Conolly by £300 and as a consequence Smith was sent to debtors' prison in 1819. Through all this financial turmoil, Smith managed to publish his map and subsequent associated publications but in 1817 he remarked "My income is as yet not anywise improved by what has been done, the profits being required to liquidate the debt incurred by publication."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Torrens|first1=Hugh|title=William Smith (1769–1839): His struggles as a consultant, in both geology and engineering, to simultaneously earn a living and finance his scientific projects to 1820 |journal=Earth Sciences History|date=2016|volume=35|issue=1|pages=1–46|doi= 10.17704/1944-6187-35.1.1}}</ref> On 31 August 1819, Smith was released from [[King's Bench Prison]] in [[London]], a debtor's prison.<ref>Randy Moore, Mark D. Decker, ''More Than Darwin: An Encyclopedia of the People and Places of the Evolution-creationism Controversy'', p. 327, Greenwood Press, 2008 {{ISBN|978-0313341557}}.</ref> He returned to 15 Buckingham Street, his home since 1804, to find a [[bailiff]] at the door and his home and property seized. Smith then worked as an itinerant surveyor for many years until one of his employers, Sir John Johnstone, recognised his work and talent and took steps to gain for him the respect he deserved, appointing Smith as Land Steward to his estate in Hackness near [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]. Between 1824 and 1834, Smith lived and was based in Hackness, then moving to Scarborough where he was responsible for the design of the [[Rotunda Museum|Rotunda]], a geological museum devoted to the Yorkshire coast, creating the cylindrical layout and arrangement of fossil display on sloping shelves.
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