"Memoirs of William Smith"

You may order a copy of this limited edition book, from an 1844 original in the BRLSI library.

by his nephew, John Phillips FRS FGS.

July 2003

FIRST TITLE
This first title from our library, in what is planned to be a series of limited edition reprints, is based on the Memoirs of William Smith, LL.D., author of the Map of the Strata of England and Wales. He had strong connections with the Bath district, and was a truly original thinker in his day, but who only received proper recognition late in his life. The book outlines Smith's working life, firstly in the Bath area, and afterwards throughout the UK. He worked as a civil and water engineer, geologist, land and mineral surveyor, and cartographer.

In the early years of his career, from 1793, he was asked to survey routes for the Somerset Coal Canal, soon being appointed its surveyor, or sub-engineer and, because this had two separate "arms" in valleys a few miles apart, he was able to observe and compare the strata between them. He also noted that fossils, which otherwise looked similar, enabled him to separate and identify the strata, and translated this information onto original coloured stratigraphic maps.

His life is an extraordinary story that evolved through many phases. Dismissed by the Canal Company in 1799, he now travelled all round Britain on commission, and gathered data towards his pioneering geological map of Britain, published in 1815. However, his dedication to geology had forced him into Bath-based debt, which culminated in the ignominy of a debtor's prison in 1819. After this, he retired to Yorkshire, where he died in 1839. Here he saw the final vindication of his skills and ideas, ending in acclaim and endorsement, as "Father of English Geology".

BOOK CONTENTS
The original book has c.150 pages and was written by his nephew and assistant, John Phillips, by then an eminent geologist himself. The book concentrates on Smith's working life and, as the author notes, he had "purposely softened the darkest outlines of Mr Smith's private and personal fortunes".

To complete the story of this remarkable man, the Institution has decided to include additional material about his life and work, and to compile an integrated index for the first time. The leading authority on his work is Professor Hugh Torrens, recently retired Professor of Geology at Keele University, who has agreed to write an introductory synopsis of William Smith's life for the book, including specific references to his early work. In addition the Geological Society of London has allowed us to reprint Torrens' William Smith Lecture given to the Society in 2000. This is historically complementary to the Memoirs, but adds important extra details. The volume will also contain a comprehensive index, with cross references by PEOPLE, PLACES and SUBJECTS across its complete contents, making the book a valuable reference tool to all geologists and followers of William Smith.

SPECIFICATION
The book is a hardback, under the BRLSI imprint, of 288 pages, size 210 x 145mm, and printed on 100gsm white paper. It is cased in Oxford Library Buckram over 2.3mm boards, silver blocked on spine and front, plus a ribbon marker.
Each copy features subscribers' names printed at the back.

PUBLICATION DETAILS
The book was published on 7 June 2003, which is the 250th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which led to the establishment of the British Museum, to whom Smith sold his first stratigraphically arranged fossil collection. The launch was held at the Institution's premises at 16 Queen Square. A reception took place with refreshments, and related talks by Hugh Torrens, and Robert Anderson, recently retired British Museum director .