Female social circle in Roderick Murchison’s ‘Silurian System’ (1839)
The Society archive collection holds the five known surviving diaries of Charlotte Murchison (1788-1869), which record the trips made with her husband Roderick Murchison (1792-1871) across Britain and Europe. One volume covers the summers of 1833-1835 when the couple made annual trips to South Wales to investigate the fossiliferous Palaeozoic strata, which would result in the establishment of a new geological period. Unlike Roderick’s corresponding field books, Charlotte’s diaries are mainly a social record of where she visited, what she saw (with a geological slant) and with whom, with occasional, brief references to the drawings she made.
On a separate sketch pad, Charlotte drew many of the scenic views which would be published in Roderick’s memoir on his findings, ‘Silurian System’ (1839). A number of the original drawings survive in the Geological Society’s archive collections.
Pencil drawing of Stackpole Cliffs, Bullslaughter Bay, Pembroke, by Charlotte Murchison, 18 July 1835. (GSL Archive collection ref: LDGSL/857/1/1).
The same view as a woodcut from Roderick Murchison's 'Silurian System' (1839). GSL Library collection.
As well as illustrations provided by Charlotte, ‘Silurian System’ (1839) includes other images provided by the women (usually members of the gentry) with whom the Murchisons stayed and socialised with during their trips. Drawing of course was one of the accomplishments which were acceptable in a young lady but this would do a disservice to these women, many of whom took a deeper interest in the subject and whose names are included in the list of subscribers of the final published work.
The Clive family
Descended from the Earls of Powis, the Clive family were keen fossil and mineral collectors. Henrietta Clive née Herbert (1758-1830), was a noted mineral collector and her daughter Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, later Duchess of Northumberland (1787-1866), collected fossils.
Left: Portrait of Charlotte Florentia, Duchess of Northumberland, Stipple engraving by T A Dean after Mrs Robertson (1829). Wikimedia Commons.
Right: Extract from a letter from Charlotte Florentia, Duchess of Northumberland to Roderick Murchison, 28 October 1838 with a thumbnail sketch and description of a fossil she has found. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/838/N/12).
Powis Castle
Powis Castle near Welshpool is the family seat of the Earls of Powis. According to Charlotte’s diary, the Murchisons stayed at the Clive family's impressive 13th century ancestral home in 1833, 1834 and 1835.
"Breakfast at Powis Castle where we were most kindly received by D. Clive and his very accomplished and agreeable Lady Lucy. The Castle... is a splendid Baronial residence - the view from the windows succeeds that of any habitable castle I have been in Great Britain. The Breiddins are superb as a termination to the rich vale of Montgomeryshire..."
Diary of Charlotte Murchison, 2 September 1833. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/840/4).
Left: View of Breiddin Hills from Powis Castle by Charlotte Murchison, from Roderick Murchison's ‘Silurian System’ (1839). GSL Library collection.
This drawing of the Standard Quarries, a building quarry in the nearby town of Welshpool, is by Lady Lucy Clive (1793-1875), who became Countess of Powis when her husband Edward Herbert Clive succeeded to the earldom in 1839. Roderick Murchison was fascinated by this particular formation (drawing it a number of times in his own field books) as it shows the columnar cooling joints of an intrusive igneous rock (trachyte). Aside from Roderick’s sketches, there are five drawings of the quarry in the archive, but the published version was based on Lady Lucy’s drawing.
Drawing of the Standard Quarries, Welshpool, by Lady Lucy Clive, [1834-1838]. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/857/7).
Right: Proof of the woodcut which was published in: Murchison, R. 'Silurian System', London: John Murray, 1839. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/860).
Ludlow Castle
Before becoming the Earl of Powis, Lady Lucy's husband Edward was MP for the Shropshire market town of Ludlow from 1806. Her sister-in-law Lady Harriet Clive (1797-1869) [later 13th Baroness Windsor] provided a pencil drawing of the castle in the town. A much-refined version was included in ‘Silurian System’ as it depicted the Upper Ludlow formation on which the Castle stood.
Left: Pencil sketch of 'Ludlow Fort', by Lady Harriet Clive, [1834-1838]. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/857/3).
Right: Published version of Ludlow Castle from Roderick Murchison’s ‘Silurian System’ (1839). GSL Library collection.
Charlotte Traherne
Another woman whom the Murchisons met on their travels was the artist and antiquary Charlotte Traherne (d.1880). Her husband, John Montgomery Traherne (1788-1860) was also an antiquary but perhaps just as importantly a Fellow of the Geological Society. The Murchisons were forced to stay with the Trahernes when they were unable to find a room at the local inn.
The Trahernes usually lived in their Regency mansion ‘Coedriglan’ on the outskirts of Cardiff but had taken a house in the spa town of Llandwrtyd Wells in an attempt to improve the health of the sickly Mr Traherne. Charlotte was not impressed by the accommodation, remarking it was a "miserable house for the water drinkers" and sarcastically commenting that "It is marvellous how the Welsh gentry can lease their comfortable mansions for such a hovel." [Charlotte Murchison's diary (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/840/4, p14)].
“Left Llandovery for Llandwrtyd where on arriving the Landlord greeted us with the pleasing intelligence that there was no room for us - Mrs Traherne kindly gave us her dressing room to sleep in.”
Charlotte Murchison's diary, 5 August 1833. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/840/4).
Mr Traherne sent Roderick Murchison a panoramic watercolour Charlotte Traherne drew of the mountains south of Llandwrtyd Wells on the ‘one clear day’ after their departure. ‘Silurian System’ features this drawing, along with two other details by Traherne. Roderick Murchison wrote that he included the panorama because "I cannot more effectively convey to my readers a clear notion of the arrangement and succession of the strata in Brecknockshire and the adjacent counties of Radnor and Caemarthen".
![Panoramic watercolour of the mountains near Llanwrtyd, by Charlotte Traherne, [?1833-1834].](/media/kyafxvif/ldgsl-862-traherne-panorama-1920.jpg?rmode=min&width=1920&height=800&v=1dc83d0763eb6d0)
Panoramic watercolour of the mountains near Llanwrtyd, by Charlotte Traherne, [1833]. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/862). click here to enlarge
Lithographed version of Traherne's panorama as it appeared in Roderick Murchison's 'Silurian System' (1839). GSL Library collection. The peach colour indicates the Old Red System, the blue the Cambrian, the grey is the Silurian and the pink is 'Trap and altered rocks'. Click here to enlarge
Frances Stackhouse Acton
Frances Stackhouse Acton (1793-1882) was another female fossil collector from the Murchisons’ social circle. Her interest in science was encouraged by her botanist and horticulturist father Thomas Andrew Knight (1759–1838). Whilst still in her teens, she provided illustrations for his book ‘Pomono Herefordiensis’ (1811), on the cultivation of traditional varieties of apples and pears used for cider and perry.
At the age of 18, Frances married Thomas Pendarves Stackhouse. When Thomas inherited Acton Scott Hall in Church Stretton, Shropshire, the couple’s surname became Stackhouse Acton. Frances’ husband, who was 25 years older than her, died in 1835 leaving her independently wealthy and able to pursue her own interests – such as excavating a local Roman site and supporting the built heritage around the county.
Cider apple variety ‘The Friar’, based on a drawing by Frances, from Thomas Andrew Knight's ‘Pomono Herefordiensis’ (1811). Source: Biodiversity Heritage Library.
The intended artist was unable to finish the illustrations due to ill health so Frances provided the remaining three drawings. Her father rather unkindly described them as “the work of a very young and inferior artist of my own family”.
Pencil drawing of Church Stretton probably by Charlotte Murchison, 11 October 1834. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/857/1/5).
When the Murchisons met Stackhouse Acton is unclear, but they were certainly in her home town of Church Stretton in 1834 as this drawing appears to attest.
Woodcut of Castle Cerrig Cennen from a drawing by Mrs Stackhouse Acton, from Roderick Murchison's ‘Silurian System’ (1839). GSL Library collection.
As well as images of scenery (a woodcut of Stackhouse Acton’s drawing of Castle Cerrig Cennen appears in 'Silurian System') she also sent Roderick Murchison drawings from her own fossil collection. One of her specimens was included in the published work, the brachiopod Orthis Actoniae which Roderick Murchison stated was "Named after Mrs Stackhouse Acton, in whose property, near Church Stretton, it is abundant."
Right: Pencil drawing of trilobites from the Caradoc Limestone by Frances Stackhouse Acton from her own fossil collection, sent to Roderick Murchison, [?1837-1842]. (GSL Archive ref: LDGSL/852).
Left: Lithograph of Orthis Actoniae, from Roderick Murchison's 'Silurian System' (1839), Plate 20, fig 6. GSL Library collection.