Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (19th February, 1792 - 22nd, October,
1871), KCB, DCL, LLD, FRS, FGL, etc., was one of the founders of
modern geology. Using discernible fossil communities he established
the Silurian, Permian, and, with Adam Sedgwick, the Devonian
stratigraphic systems of geology. He extended his fieldwork to
Europe and the Russian Empire and thus demonstrated the
universality of the fossil-based stratigraphic systems that he had
delineated in Britain. He gained fame by predicting gold in
Australia, based on his findings in Russia where his coal
discoveries (made at the behest of the Czar) helped spur Russian
railway development. Roderick Impey Murchison was twice president
of the Geological Society of London, and was President of the Royal
Geographical Society four times. He also served one term as
President of the British Association and became the Director
General of the British Geological Survey. He was awarded the
Wollaston Medal of the London Geological Society, the Copley Medal
from the Royal Society and the Brisbane Medal from the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. Sir Roderick established the Murchison Medal
and fund, which is awarded each year by the Geological Society of
London and the position of Chair of Geology and Mineralogy at the
University of Edinburgh. Sir Roderick was also a member of the
scientific academies of France, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark,
and Belgium among others. His leadership in geography was honoured
by having numerous geographical places on earth named Murchison.'
There is even a crater on the moon named Murchison to acknowledge
his pioneering accomplishments in geology. However, before he was a
famous geologist, geographer and 19th century British and European
scientific leader, Roderick Murchison had a very different dream;
he grew up wanting to be a career army officer, and desired to
eventually attain the rank of General of the British Army. He spent
the 10 years between ages 13 and 23 in uniformed pursuit of that
goal. The Murchison Diaries covering the Napoleonic Wars have been
edited by his descendant Dr. Arthur Murchison . The diaries begin
with Ensign Murchison carrying his regiments (36th Regiment of
Foot) Colours into the bloody gun smoked chaos of a Spanish
battlefield, French cannon and musket balls striking soldiers near
him. Lieutenant Murchison survived the horrible retreat to Corunna
and a frightening stormy sea voyage back to Britain. He served as a
general's aide de camp in politically corrupt Bourbon Sicily during
months of a booming artillery battle across the Messina Straits
while he copied dispatches, studied opera music, watched a double
hanging and made love. After a narrow escape from Algerine pirates
he returned to Britain and Northern Ireland where he was again his
general's aide-de-camp. After Emperor Napoleon's first abdication
in 1814 Captain Murchison visited France and found himself fleeing
from Napoleon and his gathering army. Wanting to get back on the
promotion-generating battlefield, he became a cavalry officer but
was disappointed because he did not see the final battle at
Waterloo.
General
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