Murchison, Roderick Impey |
| GEOLOGIST (SCOTLAND) |
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BORN 19 Feb 1792, Muir of Ord, Rossshire: Tarradale House - DIED 22 Oct 1871, London GRAVE LOCATION London: Brompton Cemetery, Old Brompton Road, West Brompton (5W) |
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Roderick Murchison was the son of the wealthy Kenneth Murchison, who died in 1796. he was educated at the military college at Great Marlow. In 1808 he served with Wellington in Galicia. After he left the army he married Charlotte Hugonin (1788-1869), the daughter of general Hugonin. They lived in Barnard Castle in Durham. In 1816 he met Lord Byron near Vevey in Switzerland and in later years he knew Mary Shelley in London. In 1818 he met Sir Humphrey David who persuaded him to turn his attention to science. He joined the Geological society of London and together with his wife he explored the geology of the south of England. His first paper was read to the Geological Society of London in 1825. By that time he was also exploring the continent, travelling to southern France, northern Italy and Switzerland. In 1831 he established the Silurian system of rocks. In 1831 he was elected president of the Geological Society of London and in 1846 he was knighted. He held several official positions and in 1866 he received a baronetcy. He died in 1871 in London. Family • Wife: Murchison, Charlotte (1815-1869) Related persons • met Byron, George Noel Gordon • knew Davy, Humphry • knew Shelley, Mary |
| Images |
 The grave of Roderick Murchison at Brompton Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (19 Aug 2017) |
Sources • Feldman, Paula R. and Diana Scott-Kilvert, The Journals of Mary Shelley, 1814-1844, Oxford at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1987 • Roderick Murchison - Wikipedia (EN) |
