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

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.