Charles Lyell

Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, Kt FRS (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a British lawyer and the foremost geologist of his day.

He is best known as the author of 'Principles of Geology', which popularised James Hutton's concepts of uniformitarianism – the idea that the earth was shaped by the same processes still in operation today.

Lyell was a close and influential friend of Charles Darwin.

1797 Born in November.

1818 Entered Exeter College, Oxford; obtained degree as M. A. in 1821.

1824 Called to the Bar after Barrister training in London.

Travelled to Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy, and at later periods he visited the Danish Islands, Scandinavia, Spain, the kingdom of the two Sicilys, and twice visited North America.

1825 First published work on 'A Dyke of Serpentine Cutting Through Sandstone' in the index of the Royal Society of London.

Between 1826 and 1864 he published between 70 and 80 papers in Geology, and a few with Murchison and other Geologists.

1830 Published 'Principles in Geology'.

1832 Appointed lecturer in geology at Kings College, London.

1832 Married; to eldest daughter of Leonard Horner.

1848 Earned a knighthood.

1859 President of the Geological Society.

1863 Published works on the antiquity of man.

1864 Created a Baronet.

1875 Died 22nd February, aged 77.

See The Engineer 1875/03/26 page 207 for an account of his life.

See Also

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