Westminster Abbey, in London, is the honored or honorary resting place of many notables of England and the British Empire. The following people who are closely connected to the practice of geology (geophysics, geochemistry, planetary science, geochronology, paleontology) are either buried or memorialized in Westminster Abbey. The links go to Westminster Abbey's official website. Several of these names are included in my list of biographies of geologists of the British Isles, for more detail.
William Buckland
Charles Darwin
Michael Faraday
George Green
Edmond Halley
William and John Herschel
Robert Hooke
James Prescott Joule
Sir Charles Lyell
James Clerk Maxwell
Sir Isaac Newton
John Strutt, Lord Rayleigh
Ernest Rutherford
George Gabriel Stokes
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
James Ussher
Alfred Russel Wallace
John Woodward
Comments
Hi Andrew, I was lucky to have a visit to Westminster many years ago and looked up some of my favourite dead guys. I noted the tomb inscriptions, but photographs were not allowed.
Tomb inscription for Charles Darwin:
‘Charles Robert Darwin
Born 17 February 1809
Died 19 April 1882′
Tomb inscription for Charles Lyell:
‘Charles Lyell, Beront F.R.S.
Author of “The Principles of Geology” Born at Kinnordy in Forfarshire Nov. 14. 1797 Died in London Feb 22. 1875
Throughout a long and laborious life he sought the means of deciphering the fragmentary records of the Earth’s history in the patient investigation of the present order of nature, enlarging the boundaries of knowlegde and leaving on scientific thought an enduring influence. “O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep” Psalm XCII.5.’
Tomb Inscription for Isaac Newton:
‘HIC DEPOSITUM ES
QUOD MORTALE FUIT
ISAACI NEWTONI’
or ‘here lies that which was mortal of Isaac Newton’
Of course there are many others including writers, poets and savants. A highly recommended spot to visit.
Andrew, I so value your newsletter – the topics you choose and even this one because I’m glad to see geo-scientists acknowledged and buried in Westminster Abby! But it is also so blatantly stunning and painful to see this list…..
…..where are the women scientists? Were there none in those days? Are there none now? Is the Queen blind – does she have no power to honor all and make visible?