SIR ANDREW CROMBIE RAMSAY; 1814 - 1891; LIST OF PAPERS

1 Notebooks and diaries

2 Lecture notes

3 Miscellaneous notes, printed papers etc, Examination papers

4 Drawings

5 Miscellaneous printed papers

6 Family correspondence

7 Sir Henry de la Beche

8 General correspondence

9 Other related material

Sir Andrew was a very endearing character with wide interests; this is reflected in his diaries and correspondence, which repay detailed study.

Compiled by J Pingree

The papers of Professor Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay were given to Imperial College by his daughters in 1934. They remained in the Geology Department until their transfer to the archives in 1970. For one reason or another detailed listing of the papers has not been completed and it is now only possible to produce this handlist.

The collection has however been consulted by a number of distinguished scholars; one of the most recent is Dr James Secord (1) a member of the Imperial College staff. Material from the collection has been displayed at a number of exhibitions, including the Huxley Building centenary in 1972, the Lyell Centenary Symposium in 1975, with a display on 'A C Ramsay and his circle'; and for small exhibitions on the Geology Department, the sesquicentenary of the Geological Survey, and other events.

The archivist would like to express her gratitude to Professor Philip F Rehbock who sorted and foliated the correspondence with Edward Forbes (2).

(1) James A Secord

The Geological Survey as a research school. In HISTORY OF SCIENCE, vol. 24, part 3, September 1986, pp.223-275.

Controversy in Victorian Geology: the Cambrian-Silurian dispute. Princeton University Press, 1986.

(2) Philip F Rehbock

Edward Forbes. An annotated list of published and unpublished writings. In JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HISTORY, vol. 9, pp.71-218.

OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF SIR ANDREW CROMBIE RAMSAY

1814 Born at Glasgow, 31 January, third child of William Ramsay, a manufacturing chemist, and his wife Elizabeth Crombie.

1827 Death of his father. Became clerk in a cotton-grower's office.

1840 British Association meeting at Glasgow: ACR did major part of work on a map and model of the Isle of Arran.

1841 Published book on Isle of Arran; visited London at the invitation of Sir Roderick Murchison: appointed Assistant Geologist on the Geological Survey.

1845 Appointed as Local Director.

1848-51 Professor of Geology, University College, London.

1849 Election as Fellow of the Royal Society.

1851-76 Professor of Geology, Royal School of Mines (affiliated to the Geological Survey).

1852 Marriage to Louisa Williams, 20 July.

1858 Death of ACR's mother.

1862-4 President of the Geological Society.

1867-81 Director for England and Wales, Geological Survey.

1871 Received Wollaston medal of the Geological Society.

1871 Awarded Royal medal of the Royal Society.

1881 Knighted.

1891 Death on 9th December.