Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism [Paperback]

Robert A. Stafford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2002

Sir Roderick Murchison's life and work is investigated in this study as a bargain struck between science and the forces of imperialism in mid-Victorian Britain. It illuminates the broader, and still present, intimacy between science and government. More than any contemporary, Murchison (1792-1871) emerged as the eminent Victorian who "sold" science to the Imperial government, on the grounds of utility as much as prestige. By the end of his life the map of the world and its powers looked very different; and throughout this world there were two dozen "discoveries" named after Murchison himself. A giant of the imperial age, Murchison's career was tied intimately to the expansion of the political, economic and scientific realm of the British Empire. He was a founding father of geological science and geographical exploration, president of the Royal Geographical Society and Director-General of the Geological Survey. His identification of the Silurian system in geology--and subsequent prediction of the location of economic riches--is as notable as his patronage of David Livingstone and other figures of Victorian exploration.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work, carefully researched and precisely written, is a useful addition to the literature of the history of the British Empire. It will be equally useful to scientists and historians of science." The Historian

"...a detailed exploration of the interactions of science and the forces of British imperialism... It deserves a place in all good geological libraries, and on the shelves of any geologist wanting a proper understanding of the context in which British and Commonwealth science still operates. " Nigel Woodcock, Geology

"...adds considerably to our understanding of Murchison and to our knowledge about the public role of science in the Victorian era." Joe D. Burchfield, American Historical Review

"...my admiration for the author's exhaustive research and for the clarity and skill with which he discusses Murchison's many undertakings." Leroy E. Page, Isis

"Stafford...argues his thesis convincingly and well, and Scientist of Empire will no doubt light the way for others to venture into the cultural history of science on a surer footing." Suzanne Zeller, Victorian Studies

Book Description

Sir Roderick Murchison was an eminent Victorian, as notable for his idenfication of the Silurican system in geology as for his patronage of David Livingstone and other Victorian exploration. This study of Murchison emerged as the eminent Victorian who 'sold' science to the imperial government.

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521528674
• ISBN-13: 978-0521528672
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,827,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The first bureaucrat of science, February 21, 2002

By 

Rafe Champion (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism (Hardcover)

According to one school of thought, historical studies should elucidate the great unfolding meaning and message of events. For others history merely consists of one damn thing after another. Robert Stafford appears to lean towards the second view and fortunately Murchison (1792-1871) was involved in enough important things to make his life story valuable. It would be even more valuable and interesting if the author had deployed a better theory than Gramski's doctrine of hegemony for the final summary. The lack of a robust theoretical framework prevents the book from delivering on the dustjacket promise to illuminate the broader intimacy between science and government.

In his youth Murchison might well have been voted the least likely of his contemporaries to succeed in the life of the mind. At school he was a dreadful student and he turned to a military career. This helped to prepared him for his ultimate vocation because at military college he studied topographical appraisal and draughtsmanship, two of the vital skills for geological fieldwork. He served in the Spanish campaign against Napoleon but the end of hostilities in 1815 destroyed his hopes for military glory. Relegated to a backwater in Ireland he diverted himself with riding, hunting, drinking bouts and visits to London where he paraded as a dandy. He also attended lectures by Sir Humphrey Davy at the Royal Institute for Science.

This unlikely combination of activities won him the hand in marriage of a cultured lady, Charlotte Hugonin, only daughter of a wealthy general. She encouraged him to develop more refined interests in the course of a prolonged Continental tour. He undertook prodigious walking expeditions and showed a keen eye for country and a willingness to describe it in detail. Back in England he reverted to fox hunting on his country estate until the problem of debt and a partridge shooting expedition with Sir Humphrey Davy inspired him to turn to Science.

The couple moved to a rented house in London until the death of Charlotte's father some years later enabled them to occupy a mansion in Belgrave Square. This, at page 15 (circa 1842) is the last mention of wife, family, or social life in the book. The strangest feature of this biography is the complete absence of any sense of the subject as a flesh and blood man (or a person) living a life among people.

Fifteen years of intensive fieldwork mapping the Silurian sediments in Wales provided the foundation for his scientific reputation. After his early and important contribution, he did not appear to shift his opinion on any matter of theoretical interest. During that time he established close social and working relationships with all the major geologists in Europe. He also began his pursuit of power and influence in the scientific societies, initially the Geological Society where he became the Foreign Secretary in 1828. For many years he was on the council of the Royal Society, also he was a trustee of the British Museum and an active office bearer in practically any other society or club that could advance his interests. If the suitable organisation did not exists he created it. He was a founding member of the Athanaeum Club, the Royal Geographical Society and the British Association for the Advancement of Science. These societies played a major role in directing scientific work, at a time when government involvement did not go far beyond naval mapping and some surveying for strategic materials during times of war.

The book outlines his tireless efforts through committees, patronage, political connections and publicity to expand and co-ordinate worldwide efforts in exploration and data collection. No continent was untouched by his efforts, and those of his friends and disciples in the field. As a testament to his influence, Australia alone contains five Mount Murchisons and two Murchison Rivers, while New Zealand has four mountains and a glacier named after him.

His efforts called for amazing stamina and organising ability, also the time that was made available by minimal domestic responsibilities and a supportive wife. He was not a radical but his support for free trade and its corollary, peace, put him at odds with the government in some military adventures, notably the Crimean War. He also encouraged the full participation and recognition of women in the scientific societies, generously acknowledging the efforts of Jane Franklin in Tasmania and other female pioneers.