Darwin-L Message Log 5:165 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:165>From DARWIN@iris.uncg.edu  Thu Jan 27 00:05:32 1994

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 01:16:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: DARWIN@iris.uncg.edu
Subject: January 27 -- Today in the Historical Sciences
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Organization: University of NC at Greensboro

JANUARY 27 -- TODAY IN THE HISTORICAL SCIENCES

1873: ADAM SEDGWICK dies at Cambridge, England.  A mathematics graduate of
Trinity College, Cambridge, Sedgwick became a fellow of Trinity in 1810 and
Woodwardian Professor of Geology in 1818.  Enormously influential on an entire
generation of British geologists through his field work and his teaching,
Sedgwick counted among his students the young Charles Darwin who accompanied
him on a geological expedition to north Wales in 1831.  Interested especially
in the oldest fossiliferous strata, Sedgwick devoted much of his energy to the
elucidation of the rock system he named "Cambrian", summarizing his views in
_A Synopsis of the Classification of the British Palaeozoic Rocks With a
Systematic Description of the British Palaeozoic Fossils in the Geological
Museum of the University of Cambridge_ (1851-1855).  He eventually became
engaged in a fierce dispute with Roderick Murchison who was investigating the
slightly younger rocks of the Silurian system.  An ordained Anglican minister
of liberal inclination, Sedgwick opposed Darwin's evolutionary views when they
were published in 1859 just as vigorously as he had opposed the views of the
naive scriptural geologists of the 1820s and 1830s.  After his death the
geological museum at Cambridge will be named the Sedgwick Museum in his honor.

Today in the Historical Sciences is a feature of Darwin-L, an international
network discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.
For more information about Darwin-L send the two-word message INFO DARWIN-L to
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