William Conybeare (geologist)
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William Daniel Conybeare FRS (7 June 178712 August 1857), dean of
Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...
, was an English geologist, palaeontologist and clergyman. He is probably best known for his ground-breaking work on fossils and excavation in the 1820s, including important papers for the
Geological Society of London The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...
on ichthyosaur anatomy and the first published scientific description of a plesiosaur.


Life and career


Childhood and education

He was a grandson of
John Conybeare John Conybeare (31 January 1692 – 13 July 1755) was Bishop of Bristol and one of the most notable theologians of the 18th century. Conybeare was born at Pinhoe, where his father was vicar, and educated at Exeter Free School, Blundell's School ...
, bishop of
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 ...
(1692–1755), a notable preacher and divine, and son of Dr William Conybeare, rector of
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate is a Church of England church in the Bishopsgate Without area of the City of London, and also, by virtue of lying outside the city's (now demolished) eastern walls, part of London's East End. Adjoining the buildi ...
. Born in London, he was educated there at
Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...
, then went in 1805 to
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, where in 1808 he took his degree of BA, with a first in classics and second in mathematics, and proceeded to MA three years later.


Early career

Having entered holy orders he became in 1814 curate of
Wardington Wardington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about northeast of Banbury. The village consists of two parts: Wardington and Upper Wardington. The village is on a stream that rises in Upper Wardington and flows north to join the River ...
, near
Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...
, and he accepted also a lectureship at
Brislington Brislington is an area in the south east of the city of Bristol, England. It is on the edge of Bristol and from Bath. Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley and St Anne's Wood. Brislington formerly hou ...
near Bristol. During this period he was one of the founders of the Bristol Philosophical Institution (1822). He was rector of Sully in
Glamorganshire , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...
from 1823 to 1836, and vicar of
Axminster Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Ax ...
from 1836 to 1844. He was appointed
Bampton lecturer The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...
in 1839, called and later published in a book as ''An Analytical Examination into the Character, Value, and Just Application of the Writings of the Christian Fathers During the Ante Nicene Period''. He was instituted to the deanery of
Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...
in 1845.


Geology

Attracted to the study of geology by the lectures of Dr John Kidd he pursued the subject with ardour. As soon as he had left college he made extended journeys in Britain and on the continent, and he became one of the early members of
The Geological Society The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...
. Both Buckland and Sedgwick acknowledged their indebtedness to him for instruction received when they first began to devote attention to geology. He contributed geological memoirs to the ''Transactions'' of the Geological Society, the ''
Annals of Philosophy ''Annals of Philosophy; or, Magazine of Chemistry, Mineralology, Mechanics, Natural History, Agriculture and the Arts'' was a learned journal founded in 1813 by the Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson. It shortly became a leader in its field of comme ...
'', and the ''
Philosophical Magazine The ''Philosophical Magazine'' is one of the oldest scientific journals published in English. It was established by Alexander Tilloch in 1798;John Burnett"Tilloch, Alexander (1759–1825)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford Univer ...
''. In 1821, in collaboration with
Henry De la Beche Sir Henry Thomas De la Beche KCB, FRS (10 February 179613 April 1855) was an English geologist and palaeontologist, the first director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, who helped pioneer early geological survey methods. He was the ...
he distinguished himself by describing, from fragmentary remains, the saurian
Plesiosaurus ''Plesiosaurus'' (Greek: ' ('), near to + ' ('), lizard) is a genus of extinct, large marine sauropterygian reptile that lived during the Early Jurassic. It is known by nearly complete skeletons from the Lias of England. It is distinguishable b ...
in a paper for the Geological that also contained an important description and analysis of all that had been learned to that point about the anatomy of ichthyosaurs including the fact that there had been at least three different species. His predictions about the plesiosaur were proved correct by the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton by
Mary Anning Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist who became known around the world for the discoveries she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel ...
in 1823, which Conybeare described to the Geological Society in 1824. Among his most important memoirs is that on the south-western coal district of England, written in conjunction with Dr Buckland, and published in 1824. He wrote also on the valley of the Thames, on Elie de Beaumont's theory of mountain-chains, and on the great landslip which occurred near
Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Heri ...
in 1839 when he was vicar of Axminster. His principal work, however, is the ''Outlines of the Geology of England and Wales'' (1822), being a second edition of the small work issued by
William Phillips William Phillips may refer to: Entertainment * William Phillips (editor) (1907–2002), American editor and co-founder of ''Partisan Review'' * William T. Phillips (1863–1937), American author * William Phillips (director), Canadian film-make ...
and written in co-operation with that author. The original contributions of Conybeare formed the principal portion of this edition, of which only Part 1, dealing with the
Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...
and newer strata, was published. It affords evidence throughout of the extensive and accurate knowledge possessed by Conybeare; and it exercised a marked influence on the progress of geology in Britain. Conybeare was an advocate of
gap creationism Gap creationism (also known as ruin-restoration creationism, restoration creationism, or "the Gap Theory") is a form of old Earth creationism that posits that the six-'' yom'' creation period, as described in the Book of Genesis, involved six li ...
. He was a
fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
and a corresponding member of the Institute of France. In 1844, he was awarded the
Wollaston medal The Wollaston Medal is a scientific award for geology, the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London. The medal is named after William Hyde Wollaston, and was first awarded in 1831. It was originally made of gold (1831–1845), t ...
by the
Geological Society of London The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...
. His elder brother, the scholar John Josias Conybeare, was also interested in geology.


Death

He was taken ill on the way to
Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...
, Surrey, to see his gravely ill eldest son,
William John Conybeare William John Conybeare (1 August 1815 – 23 July 1857) was an English vicar, essayist and novelist. Conybeare was the son of Dean William Daniel Conybeare, and was educated at Westminster and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was elect ...
in July 1857, who died, and his own death followed shortly thereafter on 12 August 1857, at
Itchen Stoke Itchen Stoke and Ovington () is an English civil parish consisting of two adjoining villages in Hampshire, England, west of Alresford town centre in the valley of the River Itchen, north-east of Winchester, and south-east of Itchen Abbas. It ...
, Hampshire, where another son, Charles Ranken Conybeare, had recently taken up the
incumbency The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
of the parish church, and a third son,
Henry Conybeare Henry Conybeare (22 February 1823 – 23 January 1892) was an English civil engineer and Gothic revival architect who designed two notable churches and greatly improved the supply of drinking water to Mumbai. Early life in England and work in Ind ...
, was later to build a new church to replace it. He is buried near the Chapter House at
Llandaff Cathedral Llandaff Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Llandaf) is an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Pet ...
and his tomb is marked by a cross on a slender memorial shaft.F.J. North,(1933) "Dean Conybeare, Geologist", Reports and Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society, Vol. 66, pp. 15–68


Works

*''Outlines of the Geology of England and Wales, With an Introductory Compendium of the General Principles of That Science, and Comparative Views of the Structure of Foreign Countries. Part I ll issued', (London, 1822). Conybeare and W. Phillips *''"Observations on the South Western Coal District of England,"'' in Transactions of the Geological Society of London, 2nd ser., 1, pt. 1, (1822). 210–316. W. Buckland and Conybeare *''"Memoir Illustrative of a General Geological Map of the Principal Mountain Chains of Europe,"'' in Annals of Philosophy, n.s. 5 (1823), 1–16, 135–149, 210–218, 278–289, 356–359; n.s. 6 (1824), 214–219. *''"Notice of a Discovery of a New Fossil Animal, Forming a Link Between the lchthyosaurus and the Crocodile; Together With General Remarks on the Osteology of the Ichthyosaurus,"'' in Transactions of the Geological Society of London, 5 (1821), 558–594 *''"Additional Notices on the Fossil Genera Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus," ibid., 2nd ser., 1 pt. 1 (1822), 103–123; and "On the Discovery of an Almost Perfect Skeleton of the Plesiosaurus,"'' ibid., pt. 2 (1824), 381–389. Conybeare and H. T. De La Beche *''"On the Hydrographical Basin of the Thames, With a View More Especially to Investigate the Causes Which Have Operated in the Formation of the Valleys of That River, and Its Tributary Streams,"'' in Proceedings of the Geological Society of London, 1, no. 12 (1829), 145–149. *''"Answer to Dr Fleming's View of the Evidence From the Animal Kingdom, as to the Former Temperature of the Northern Regions,"'' in Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 7 (1829), 142–152. *''"On Mr Lyell's 'Principles of Geology,'" in Philosophical Magazine and Annals, n.s. 8 (1830), 215–219; and "An Examination of Those Phaenomena of Geology, Which Seem to Bear Most Directly on Theoretical Speculations,"'' ibid., 359–362, 401–406; n.s. 9 (1831), 19–23, 111–117, 188–197, 258–270. *''Conybeare, "Inquiry How Far the Theory of M. Élie de Beaumont Concerning the Parallelism of the Lines of Elevation of the Same Geological Area, Is Agreeable to the Phaenomena as Exhibited in Great Britain,"'' in Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 1 (1832), 118–126; 4 (1834), 404–414. *''Conybeare, "Report on the Progress, Actual State and Ulterior Prospects of Geological Science,"'' in Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1831–2 (1833), pp. 365–414 *''An Analytical Examination into the Character, Value, and Just Application of the Writings of the Christian Fathers During the Ante-Nicene Period being the Bampton Lectures for the Year MDCCCXXXIX. By W. D. Conybeare, M. A. of Christ Church, Vicar of Axminster.'' (1839) *''"A Critique of Uniformitarian Geology: A Letter From W. D. Conybeare to Charles Lyell, 1841,"'' in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 111 (1967), 272–287., M. J. S. Rudwick


Notes


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conybeare, William Daniel 1787 births 1857 deaths British Christian creationists People educated at Westminster School, London English geologists English palaeontologists Fellows of the Royal Society Burials at Brompton Cemetery Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Wollaston Medal winners Fellows of the Geological Society of London Deans of Llandaff 19th-century English Anglican priests