E;*+ - Geological Curators

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Although an informative biography of the Rev. George Crabbe is available(l), and other general accounts of his career have been published(2), his geological interests have received comparatively little attention. Indeed, these have for long been overshadowed by his celebrated literary accomplishments and by his botanical pursuits. Nonetheless, Crabbe was a keen student of Geology, especially after he moved to Trowbridge in 1814. From that date until his demise in 1832 he collected many minerals and fossils, although not all the specimens were local to Trowbridge. Some of his minerals, for example, came from Torquay, while some of his Eocene gastropods must have been collected in the Hampshire basin and not improbably on the Hampshire coast. Whether Crabbe personally collected at these more distant localities or obtained such material from other contemporaries is, however, uncertain. After his death, Crabbe's collections were acquired by Major Thomas Clarke(3), who lent them to the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society for a temporary display in Trowbridge. Later they were transferred to the Town Hall V there, and then to their present home - the Civic Hall - awong the borough collections which fall under the jurisdiction of ~rowbrid~e council. Lacking the yttention of a resident geologist, Crabbe's specimens were initially somewhat neglected at Trowbridge, but were later sorted into groups and boxed. Latterly, they formed part of a public exhibition in which Crabbe's career and activities were featured. At some stage an attempt has been made to label some of the fossils, although in several instances the identifications aye erroneous. In order that the extent of Crabbe's palaeontological endeavours may be better appreciated, the following list briefly summarizes the kind of fossils that he collected. Unfortunately, the majority of the specimens lack labels .and one can only infer possible horizons and localities. Such inferences as seem reasonable appear below*. A more detailed study of the specimens would probably enable these to be augmented. One box of Coal Measure plants (Carboniferous). One box of Palaeozoic corals. Two boxes of various Mesozoic corals (rna.ny are apparently from Steeple Ashton). One box of Jurassic and Cretaceous corals. One box of crinoids (incl. Apiocrinus). Two boxes of Jurassic bivalves. One box of Jurassic brachiopods. One box of Jurassic and Cretaceous echinoids, and a specimen of Apiocrinus d (Bradford-on-Avon). One box of ammonites and gastropods (mostly Jurassic). One box of Tertiary gastropods (apparently Eocene forms). One box of Cretaceous sponges. One box of Mesozoic invertebrates (mostly Jurassic bivalves). One box of Jurassic vertebrates: i) teeth of Strophodns sp.(Great Oolite). ii) vertebral centra of Ichthyosaurus (possibly from the Oxford Clay). iii) paddle bones of Plesiosaurus (possibly from the Oxford Clay). iv) vertebral centrum of an unidentified saurian. One box containing a molar of Mammuthus sp. (Pleistocene gravel). It is somewhat surprising that no adequate study of Crabbe's geological activities has yet been undertaken, particularly as he was a contemporary of William Smith (1769-1839), the Rev. Joseph Townsend (1739-1816) and other pioneer British geologists(4), and because he obviously cultivated a strong interest in minerals and fossils during the later formative period of Geology in western England. Hopefully the above information will encourage such a study to be made in the future. * in parenthesis. , 8
The writer thanks Mr. J. Barton of Trowbridge Town Hall for making Crabbe's fossils and minerals accessible for study. Notes (1) Crabbe, George. was Crabbe's 1834. son. J. B. Delair, 19 Cumnor Road, Wootton, Boar's Hill, nr. Oxford. "Life of George Crabbe" (London). This author (2) v. Dict. Nat. Biogr., (1908 reissue), vol. iv, pp. 1353-1355. (3) v. Wilts. Arch. & Nat. Hist. Mag., vol. xiii, 1872, p. 315. (4) ibid. Choice Mineral Specimens Showroom open Monday - Friday 9am -5pm Weekends & Evenings by arrangment Ironbridge Works, Marl borough Road, Accrington,Lancashire ,Engla Tel :0254 36623 WaUy Hartshorn Home 061 643 7l6l Don Alderson Home 0254 35244 1
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