The Reverend Alexander Catcott (1725–1779) was an English

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, who became the vicar of

Temple Church, Bristol Temple Church, also known as Holy Cross Church, () is a ruined church in Redcliffe, Bristol, England. It is on the site of a previous, round church of the Knights Templar, which they built on land granted to them in the second quarter of the ...

and the author of numerous works on science and theology. He was the son of Reverend

Alexander Stopford Catcott Alexander Stopford Catcott (1692–1749) was an English churchman from Bristol, and headmaster of Bristol Grammar School from 1722 to 1743 or 1744. He preached in favour of Hutchinsonian ideas. Career He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree but chose ...

M.A., headmaster of Bristol Grammar School, and Martha Symes, and brother of George Symes Catcott, the friend of

Thomas Chatterton Thomas Chatterton (20 November 1752 – 24 August 1770) was an English poet whose precocious talents ended in suicide at age 17. He was an influence on Romantic artists of the period such as Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge. Althoug ...

. His views on the Bible as a scientific source were influenced by the ideas of John Hutchinson (1674–1737) and are expressed in his ''A Treatise on the Deluge''. This identified the Chinese cultural hero Fu Xi with Biblical

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

. Catcott left his book collection and two cabinets of his

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s and

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

s as a bequest to Bristol's public library. These were housed in the

Old Library Old Library or Old Library Building may refer to: United Kingdom * Old Library, Bristol, a historic library building dating from 1740 * Old Library, Cardiff, previously the main public library for Cardiff, 1882–1988 * The Old Library, L ...

on King Street and were one of the first public displays of fossils in the country. Later transferred to the

Bristol Museum Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. The museum is situated in Clifton, about from the city centre. As part of Bristol Culture it is run by the Bristol City Council with no entrance fee. It holds ...

, the fossils were destroyed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. However Catcott's books were in the new Central Library building and survived.Beeson (2009)

References

Sources

E. H. W. Meyerstein Edward Harry William Meyerstein (11 August 1889 – 12 September 1952) was an English writer and scholar. He wrote poetry and short stories, and a ''Life of Thomas Chatterton''. Early life and education Meyerstein was born in Hampstead, London ...

, "A Life of Thomas Chatterton" (1930) * "Anecdotes of Chatterton and his associates",

The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

(July 1838) pp. 603–607 * Derya Gurses, "Academic Hutchinsonians and their quest for relevance, 1734–1790", ''History of European Ideas'' 31 (2005) pp. 408–427 * Clive Lovatt, "Alexander Catcott", ''Bristol Naturalists Bulletin'' 461(July 2007) pp. 6–9 *

Wylie Sypher Feltus Wylie Sypher (December 12, 1905 – August 1987) was an American non-fiction writer and professor. Sypher was born in Mount Kisco, New York to Harry Wylie Sypher and Martha Berry. He graduated from Amherst College in 1927. He received a ...

, "Chatterton's African Eclogues and the Deluge", '' PMLA'' 54 (1939) pp. 246–260 * Anthony Beeson, "Bristol in 1807", Bristol:Redcliffe Press (2009) p. 32. {{DEFAULTSORT:Catcott, Alexander 1725 births 1779 deaths People educated at Bristol Grammar School 18th-century English Anglican priests Scientists from Bristol English geologists English Christian theologians Clergy from Bristol