Geikie, A journey through time..

List of Presidents of the Royal Society.

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Presidents of the Royal Society.

17th century Presidents
1662-1677 William, Viscount Brouncker/1677-1680 Sir Joseph Williamson/1680-1682 Sir Christopher Wren / 1682-1683 Sir John Hoskins , Bart/1683-1684 Sir Cyril Wyche/1684-1686 Samuel Pepys/1686-1689 John, Earl of Carbery (Lord Vaughan)/1689-1690 Thomas, Earl of Pembroke , KG/1690-1695 Sir Robert Southwell/1695-1698 Charles Montagu (afterwards Earl of Halifax, KG)

18th century Presidents
1698-1703 John, Lord Somers/1703-1727 Sir Isaac Newton/1727-1741 Sir Hans Sloane, Bart/1741-1752 Martin Folkes/1752-1764 George, Earl of Macclesfield/1764-1768 James, Earl of Morton (Lord Aberdour)/1768-1768 James (afterwards Sir James) Burrow/1768-1772 James West/1772-1772 James (afterwards Sir James) Burrow/ 1772-1778 Sir John Pringle

19th century Presidents
1778-1820 Sir Joseph Banks/1820-1820 William Hyde Wollaston/1820-1827 Sir Humphry Davy/1827-1830 Davies Gilbert (formerly Giddy)/ 1830-1838 HRH The Duke of Sussex/1838-1848 Joshua Alwyne Compton, Marquess of Northampton/1848-1854 William Parsons, Earl of Rosse/ 1854-1858 John, Lord Wrottesley/1858-1861 Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie/1861-1871 Sir Edward Sabine, KCB/1871-1873 Sir George Biddell Airy, KCB/ 1873-1878 Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, OM, GCSI/1878-1883 William Spottiswoode/ 1883-1885 Thomas Henry Huxley, PC/1885-1890 Sir George Gabriel Stokes, Bart./ 1890-1895 Lord Kelvin (Sir William Thomson), PC, OM/1895-1900 Lord Lister, PC, OM

20th century Presidents
1900-1905 Sir William Huggins, OM, KCB/1905-1908 John William Strutt, Lord Rayleigh, PC, OM/1908-1913 Sir Archibald Geikie, OM, KCB/1913-1915 Sir William Crookes, OM/1915-1920 Sir Joseph John Thomson, OM/ 1920-1925 Sir Charles Scott Sherrington, OM, GBE/1925-1930 Ernest, Lord Rutherford of Nelson, OM/1930-1935 Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, OM/1935-1940 Sir William Henry Bragg, OM, KBE/1940-1945 Sir Henry (Hallett) Dale, OM, GBE/1945-1950 Sir Robert Robinson, OM/1950-1955 Edgar Douglas Adrian (afterwards Lord Adrian, of Cambridge), OM/1955-1960 Sir Cyril (Norman) Hinshelwood, OM/ 1960-1965 Sir Howard (Walter) Florey (afterwards Lord Florey, of Adelaide and Marston), OM/ 1965-1970 Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett (afterwards Lord Blackett, of Chelsea), OM,/ CH1970-1975 Sir Alan (Lloyd) Hodgkin, OM, KBE/1975-1980 Alexander Robertus Todd, Lord Todd, of Trumpington, OM/1980-1985 Sir Andrew (Fielding) Huxley, OM/1985-1990 George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, OM/1990-1995 Sir Michael Atiyah, OM/1995-2000 Sir Aaron Klug, OM
21st century Presidents
2000-2005 Lord (Robert) May of Oxford, OM AC Kt/2005-2010 Lord (Martin) Rees of Ludlow, Kt

The National Museums of Scotland

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The National Museums of Scotland... Thanks to Dr. Michael Taylor for his all help and support...

The University of Edinburgh.

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The University of Edinburgh... the Holy Grail of Geikie materials...

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This is Grandpa (Thomas Lawrence Geikie).. He was from the first generation of the Geikies born in Sarawak during the time of the 2nd White Rajah (Charles Brooke).. His dad, John Somerville Geikie was the first Geikie who landed in Sarawak and was working as a geologist and mining engineer for the Borneo Company Ltd (Gold mining operations at the Tai Parit Goldmine in Bau, Sarawak).

Uncle Bernard.

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Uncle Bernard Mark Geikie. He was the first in Sarawak to look into our family history during his time in Europe. I dedicate this blog to his memory. He was, still is and always will be a great man...

The Geikie Family in Sarawak.

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The Geikie Family in Sarawak..

This picture shows Grandpa (Thomas Lawrence Geikie 1910-1960), Grandma, Dad, and all aunts and uncles...

Geikie Glacier.

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Geikie Glacier in Canada...

An artwork by Walter Geikie.

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An artwork called 'Buying a cow in Scotland' by Walter Geikie..

Geikie Gorge.

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Geikie Gorge in Western Australia named after the Geikie Brothers...

Picture of Sir Archibald Geikie.

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Picture of Great, great Granduncle Archibald Geikie..

Picture of James Murdoch Geikie.

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A picture of great, great grandpa James Murdoch Geikie..

Map of Glaciation by Sir Archibald Geikie.

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Map of Glaciation by Sir Archibald Geikie.

A photo of Sir Archibald Geikie.

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Sir Archibald Geikie

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A sketch by Archibald Geikie.

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Tombstone of Walter Geikie (uncle of James M. Geikie).

Map of Taiwan by James Geikie.

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Map of Taiwan. Edited by James Geikie and published by The Royal Scottish Geographical Society in the year 1896.

A letter from Dr. Edward Wilson to Sir Archibald Geikie

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A letter from Dr. Edward A. Wilson to Sir Archibald. It was written on board the Terra Nova (British Antartic Expedition) dated 31 October 1911. Capt. Robert Scott was heading this expedition which later turned out to be a tragic disaster. Capt. Scott and Dr. Wilson never made it back from antartica.

Geikie Snowfield

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Geikie Snowfield in New Zealand

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

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The Royal Society of Edinburgh building

Edinburgh in the year 1886

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Mount Geikie (Canada)

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A photo taken by Byron Harmon in the early 1900s depicting Mount Geikie in Canada. This mountain was named after the Geikie brothers (James and Archibald) by John Muir.

Great, Great Granduncle Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924)

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Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924), geologist and historian, was born in Edinburgh on 28 December 1835, the eldest son of James Stuart Geikie, a shop proprietor and subsequently professional musician (composer) and Isabella Thom. James Murdoch Geikie (1839-1915) was his younger brother. He was educated in Edinburgh, first at Mr. Black's preparatory school, then at Edinburgh high school (1845-1848), studied classics at Edinburgh University (1854-1855), and also took private classes in mineralogy and chemistry. He showed a great aptitude for study and his interest in science was furthered in the direction of geology when he and his friends discovered fossils at Burdehouse quarries. Archibald was influenced by scientists such as naturalist John Fleming, to whom he was introduced by his father, and by the many books on geology which he consumed, most notably Hugh Miller's Old Red Sandstone.

His professional life began initially in banking, which he did not enjoy and 1851 saw his a newspaper publication of his Three Weeks in Arran by a Young Geologist, which led to an introduction to Hugh Miller. He also became acquainted with the publisher Alexander Macmillan, geologist James David Forbes and Andrew Crombie Ramsay.

The banking career abandoned, Archibald matriculated at the University of Edinburgh in 1854 but due to some misdemeanour of his brother William, his family got into financial difficulties, and the young Archibald left university without graduating. A recommendation in 1855 by both Miller and Ramsay to Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, newly appointed head of the new Scottish branch of the geological survey, secured Archibald a position there as mapping assistant.

The following years saw him make the acquintance of distinguished scientists such as Leonard Homer and Sir Charles Lyell. He remained with the organisation until his retirement in 1901. Youthful manuscripts show that Archibald Geikie was extremely devout when young and an admirer of the theologian Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), but early religious zeal later gave way to the character of a determined bureaucratic and to conventional religious observance.

His survey work began near Edinburgh, a region well endowed with volcanic rocks. Following in the tradition of James Hutton and John Playfair, Archibald became an acknowledged authority on igneous rocks, and devoted much of his career to their study - in Britain, on the continent and in the United States.

In 1860 Archibald was called to accompany the ageing Murchison on an important reconnaissance survey in the north-west highlands. Together they formulated the theory that there was a regular ascending sequence: from the 'Fundemental Gneiss' of the west coast, to the Moine Schists of the central part of north Scotland, and on to the Old Red Sandstone of the east coast. Some limestones to the west of Moines were identified by their fossils as Silurian, and on this basis the Moines were also designated Silurian, being regarded as metamorphosed in situ. This pleased Murchison, as it allowed large areas of Scotland to be mapped in the colour representing his Silurian system.

Thus supporting Murchison, Archibald was appointed to the directorship of the Scottish branch of the survey in 1867, and conjointly to the new Murchison chair at Edinburgh in 1871. Archibald subsequently published a substantial biography of his former chief in 1875, and several other important studies in the history of geology, notably his influencial Founders of Geology in 1897, but in 1883-4 the Murchison-Geikie theory of the highlands was shown by Charles Lapworth and others, including Archibald's own surveyors, to be illusory. Even so, by 1882 Archibald had already achieved his life ambition, being appointed director-general of the survey in succession to Ramsay. He worked zealously and efficiently in this role, but he was not universally popular. and not all the staff felt he defended their interests sufficiently.

In 1871 he married Anna Maria Alice Gabrielle Pignatel (1851-1916) from Lyons, who was generally known as Alice. They had four children: Lucy, Roderick, Elsie and Gabrielle. Lady Geikie was related by marriage to Alexander Macmillan of the well-known publishing house, which also published several of Archibald's books. Archibald's only son, Roderick passed away in the month of December 1910. The coroner returned 'accidental death' and Lady Geikie was ill throughout the difficult period. A close friend of Archibald, Sir Francis Galton (cousin of Charles Darwin) also passed away in the month of January 1911. Archibald was unable to get to Greyshiot House, Haslemere, Surrey, for he was attending to urgent business in London, connected to Roderick's tragic death. It was on 19 January 1911 in The Athenaeum, Pall Mall that he wrote to the niece of Sir Francis, Miss Biggs, expressing his truest sympathy. Archibald and the deceased were both living in Haslemere. The two would often meet and share scientific news.

Archibald's career was outstandingly successful. He served as president of the Geological Society (1890-1892 and 1906-1908). He was president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (1892). Elected FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) in 1865, he served as foreign secretary (1889-1893), secretary (1903-1908), and president (1908-1912), the only geologist ever to have occupied this position. He was also active in the work of the early international geological congresses. He was knighted in 1891, appointed Knight Commander in the Order of the Bath in 1907, and appointed to the Order of Merit and received the Cross of the Legion d'honneur in 1913. He held honorary degrees from most British and many foreign universities and was a corresponding member of numerous learned academies. He also received medals from the Geological Society of London, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Royal Socety of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of London.

He corresponded with a number of people both socially and professionally such as George Alexander Louis Lebour (1847-1918) who wrote regarding the thermal conductivity of rocks, particularly work done by Edward Forbes (1815-1854), Arthur Lennox (1869-1875) who wrote on a number of professional and social matters, including arranging to meet Archibald himself, mentioning his own travels in Europe and arranging an introduction by Archibald to the publisher Macmillan. Lennox was to be proposed by the Duke of Richmond for the post of Inspector of Science and Art Schools, if he could provide suitable testimonials and asked Archibald for one. J. Peter Lesley (1819-1903) was the state geologist in charge of the second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania and corresponded with Archibald while in this post. After a breakdown in 1893, his wife Susan replied to Archibald's letters, thanking him for his support.

A. Michel Levy who wrote about geological mapping in France was another corresponding member. Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836-1920) was secretary to the Royal Commission on Scientific Instructions and the Advancement of Science. He wrote to Archibald in connection with this position, as a member of the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, where he moved after 1875 and as founder and editor of Nature. Lastly, Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge (1851-1940) was the first principle of the University of Birmingham and he wrote to Archibald about social matters, a lecture by Archibald and an attempt by the Earl of Portsmouth to join the Royal Society.

Sir Archibald Geikie's success was due in considerable measure to his great industry, tenacious memory, and splendid as a writer. (He was also an accomplished artist). Even his technical works, of which his Ancient Volcanoes of Great Britain (1867) was the most important, were highly readable. He greatly enhanced the study of geology in Britain with his Textbook of Geology (1882), and he also wrote widely on school texts. His popular writings in geology. notably his Scenery of Scotland (1865), Geological Sketches at Home and Abroad (1882), and Landscape in History (1905), are enduring contributions to geological literature. He wrote interestingly about the relationship between landforms and rock types and human history and character.

As an educationist, besides having a successful tenure in the Murchison chair in Edinburgh where his student field excursions were greatly appreciated, he served, for example, as governor of Harrow School and a trustee of the British Museum. He also played an important role in the Haslemere Museum.

Today, Sir Archibald Geikie is perhaps more highly regarded as a pioneer historian of geology than as a geologist. His writings were marked in a high degree by charm of style and power of vivid description. His literary ability has given him peculiar qualifications as a writer of scientific biographies. Sir Archibald Geikie's excellent autobiography, A Long Life's Work (1924), crowned his achievement as author, and well revealed the art of building a successful scientific career. He died in his home at Shepherd's Down, Hill Road, Haslemere, Surrey on 10 November 1924 and was buried in St. Bartholomew's churchyard, Haslemere.

Great, Great Grandfather James M. Geikie (1839-1915)

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Geikie, James Murdoch (1839-1915) by Gordon L. Herries
sources from Oxford University Press 2004.
(edited by Shenton Geikie)

Geikie, James Murdoch (1839-1915), geologist was born on 23 August 1839 in a house between Bristo Street and George Square in Edinburgh, the third son and third of eight children of James Stuart Geikie and his wife, Isabella Thom, the daughter of a Dunbar sea captain. He disliked the name Murdoch and dropped it as a child. His father was evidently in the perfume trade, but the family preferred to have him remembered as an amateur musician and music critic for 'The Scotsman'. His uncle was the artist Walter Geikie and his eldest brother was the geologist Sir Archibald Geikie. He was educated at the Edinburgh high school (1850-53) and as a schoolboy he joined in the geological rambles of his brother Archibald and John Young, the future professor of natural history at Glasgow University. In August 1850 he conducted some strangers to the summit of Arthur's Seat without realizing they were Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and four of the royal children. In 1854 he was apprenticed to the printer and publisher Thomas Constable, but disliked both the work and the indoor confinement. He renounced his apprenticeship in 1858 and resolved to follow his eldest brother into the ranks of the geological survey. While awaiting a vacancy he enrolled in the natural history class at Edinburgh University under George James Allman.

In October 1861, James joined the local branch of the geological survey as assistant geologist. He was promoted geologist in 1867, when the branch was reorganized as the geological survey of Scotland with Archibald Geikie as its director, and he was promoted district surveyor in 1869. With the survey he was in his element. He loved both the outdoor life and the companionship of genial and talented colleagues. He was a hardy, enthusiastic, and capable field geologist, the superficial deposits being his chief interest. For the survey he mapped in Fife and the Lothians, in the southern uplands, and in the Ayrshire and Lanarkshire coalfields, while from 1875 until 1882 his station was at Perth. It was in 1875, on 8 July, that he married Mary Simson, daughter of John Somerville Johnston of Crailing Hall, Jedburgh. They later had four sons and a daughter. While at the survey James achieved an international reputation as a student of the Quaternary and his book The Great Ice Age (1874; later editions in 1877 and 1894) became a classic, not least because of his advocacy of the reality of interglacial periods. Among his other texts, Outlines of Geology (1886) and Structural and Field Geology for Students (1905) both appeared in several editions.

In 1882 Archibald Geikie was appointed director-general of the geological survey and moved to London, leaving vacant the directorship of the Scottish survey and the Murchison chair of geology at Edinburgh University, which he had held concurrently with his survey post. James was his brother's obvious successor in both posts, but Archibald announced first that for the moment he would himself retain control of the Scottish survey and second that he would not sanction the holding of the Murchison chair by any survey geologist. Forced to choose between the survey and the chair, James Geikie chose the latter. It was a decision which he regretted for some years, although within the university he proved an effective teacher in both the classroom and the field and he was dean of the faculty of science from 1894 until 1913. He resigned his chair in June 1914.

A hearty, plain-spoken man, James lacked his brother's wide-ranging talents but was by far the more popular of the two. He was elected FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) in 1875 and was much involved in the affairs of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (president 1913-15) and was the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, of which he was a co-founder and president in 1904-10. He travelled widely in Europe and he visited North America twice. James died suddenly in Edinburgh from a heart attack on 1 March 1915.