OUTLINES OF THE
GEOLOGY OF ENGLAND AND WALES &c,

By

the Rev. William Daniel Conybeare

and

William Phillips

1822


471 + 66 pages,

This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from original documents in the Dartmouth College Library.

October, 2005.

Copyright © 2005 by Dr. David C. Bossard.  All rights reserved.

Geologic Cross-Sections

Scale horiz: 1" = 10 nm; vert: 400' = 1/8"
click on image for full view at 800 ppi (warning: 32"x6" 14.9 Mb)



View at 200 ppi: (six 8"x11" sections left to right -- 500Kb each):  a  b  c  d  e  f
View at 600 ppi: (six 8"x11" sections left to right --    3 Mb each):  a  b  c  d  e  f

Individual sections at 200ppi:
Figure 1 - Section from Land's End to the German Ocean  1a  1b
Figure 2 - Section from Cumberland to the Channel in Sussex 2a  2b
Figure 3 - Section from the Irish Sea in Cumberland to the North Sea in Durham  3
Figure 4 - Section along the Valley of the Wye in Derbyshire  4
Figure 5 - Section through the Isle of Purbeck &c.  5
Figure 6 - Northwest Coast of the Isle of Wight  6
Figures at 600 ppi: 1a  1b  2a  2b  Figures at 800 ppi: 3  4  5  6
Source of figures


CONTENTS.

PRELIMINARY NOTICE i-v  i  ii  iii  iv  v

"It has been endeavoured to render the present volume useful not only as an account of the physical structure of England but also as a general manual of Geology. ...The principles thus generally laid down are, in the body of the work, illustrated in the detail by their application to the geological phoenomena of our own island; the full developement of these forms the princiipal object of the work, but to avoid partial and incomplete views we have subjoined, wherever it was possible, concise accounts of the comparative geology of other countries."

INTRODUCTION i-lxi  i  ii  iii  iv  v  vi  vii  viii  ix  x  xi  xii  xiii  xiv  xv  xvi  xvii  xviii  xix  xx  xxi  xxii  xxiii  xxiv  xxv  xxvi  xxvii  xxviii  xxix  xxx  xxxi  xxxii  xxxiii  xxxiv  xxxv  xxxvi  xxxvii  xxxviii  xxxix  xl  xli  xlii  xliii  xliv  xlv  xlvi  xlvii  xlviii  xlvix  l  li  lii  liii  liv  lv  lvi  lvii  lviii  lix  lx  lxi

[p.ii] If we suppose an intelligent traveller taking his departure from our metropolis, to make from that point several successive journies to various parts of the island, for instance to South Wales, or to North Wales, or to Cumberland or to Northumberland, he cannot fail to notice (if he pays any attention to the physical geography of the country through which he passes) that before he arrives at the districts in which coal is found, he will first pass a tract of clay and sand; then another of chalk; that he will next observe numerous quarries of the calcareous freestone employed in architecture; that he will afterwards pass a broad zone of red marly sand; and beyond this will find himself in the midst of coal mines and iron furnaces. This order he will find to be invariably the same, which ever of the routes above indicated he pursues; and if he proceeds further, he will perceive that near the limits of the coal-fields he will generally observe hills of the same kind of compact limestone, affording grey and dark marbles, and abounding in mines of lead and zinc; and at a yet greater distance, mountainous tracts in which roofing slate abounds, and the mines are yet more valuable; and lastly, he will often find, surrounded by these slaty tracts, central groups of granitic rocks.

The intelligent enquirer, when he has once generalised these observations, can scarcely fail to conclude that such coincidences cannot be casual; but that they indicate a regular succession and order in the arrangement of the mineral masses constituting the Earth's surface; and he must at once perceive that, supposing such an order to exist, it must be of the highest importance to oeconomical as well as scientific objects, to trace and ascertain it.

If with these views he is led to investigate the subject still further, he will find these mineral masses disposed for the most part in stratified beds, not exactly parallel to the horizon, but more or less inclined with reference to that plane; so that the edges of these beds, emerging in succession from beneath each other, make their appearance one after the other on the surface.

[p.ix] With the exception of those contained in the most recent beds (the crag) only, nine out of ten fossil shells belong to species decidedly different from any known to exist. The family of ammonites, for instance, contains more than two hundred fossil species according to many authors, ...yet of all these not one is known recent, and the only recent species of the whole genus is a very minute shell; yet the fossil species sometimes measure three feet in diameter... The same remarks will apply to the belemnites, of which no recent species is known.

[p.xiii] [geology] is a subject which can be treated with advantage only by those who bring to it a matured and precise knowledge of the branches of natural history with which it is connected, a remark extorted by the flippant manner in which some writers have treated conclusions, the premises of which they were incompetent to comprehend. [footnote reference to "the hasty speculations contained in [George Young,] A Geological Survey of the Yorkshire Coast," published in 1822 by George Young]

[p.xvi] It is not the business of the present work to propose theories, but to record facts.

[p.xliv] [Reference to Hutton, Theory of the Earth] "the wildness of many of his theoretical views, however, went far to counterbalance the utility of the additional facts which he collected from observation."

[p.xlv] In 1790 Mr. William Smith, (a name which can never, in tracing the history of English geology, be mentioned without the respect due to a great original discoverer) appears to have commenced his researches in the neighbourhood of Bath, having in that year drawn up a tabular view of the strata exhibited in that district, which in fact contained the rudiments of his subsequent discoveries. Ten years afterwards he circulated the proposals for publishing a treatise on the Geology of England to be accompanied by a coloured map and sections, and in the interval had freely communicated the information he possessed in many quarters, till in fact it became by oral diffusion the common property of a large body of English geologists, and thus contributed to the progress of the science in many quarters where the author was little known.

[p. lix - on the consistency of the geological record with the Bibilcal Creation account] With regard to the antiquity of the human race, the conclusions deductible from geological reasoning appear strictly in accordance with the declarations of Revelation, no human remains having yet been found excepting in beds of undoubtedly very little antiquity.
    With regard to the time requisite for the formation of the secondary strata, we have the choice of the following hypothesis. [three optional ways of interpreting the Biblical account are listed including days that are of considerable length, and the existence of an unrecorded "intermediate state" following the general statement of Genesis 1:1, out of which the present order was created (sometimes called the gap theory).]



BOOK I. SUPERIOR ORDER. 

Synonymes. Newest Floetz or Tertiary Rocks,
Comprising the Formations above the Chalk.

[p.3] An account of the Geological situation of England, tracing the disposition of the materials which constitute its mineral masses, following the order of that disposition in descending from the formations which occupy the highest place in the series and are therefore of the most recent origin, to those which serve as the basis to all the rest and must therefore have been formed at the earliest period.

Chapter I. Preliminary. 3  003  004  005  006  007  008  009  010

Section 1. General view of the highest and most recent deposits: 3
a. alluvial;
b. diluvial;
c. regular strata and their division.

Section II. Strata above the Chalk generally considered 6
a. nature and extent:
b subdivisions;
c. analagous formations in other countries.

Chapter II. View of the Upper Marine formation. 10  010  011  012  013  014  015  016

Section 1. Crag of Suffolk 11
a. chemical and external characters;
b. mineral contents;
c. organic remains;
d. range and extent;
e. e1evation ;
f. thickness;
g. inclination ;
h. agricultural character;
i. phoenomena of water and springs;
k. miscellaneous remarks.

Section II. Bagshot Sand, a to k. as above. 14

Section Ill. Isle of Wight, a to k. as above. 15

Chapter III. Freshwater formations. 16  016  017  018  019  020  021  022

Section I. General view, with a note on Freshwater shells in other formations. 16

Section II. Upper Freshwater formation ; Isle of Wight a to k as above. 19

Section Ill. Lower Freshwater formation; Isle of Wight, a to k as above. 20

Chapter IV. London Clay. 22  022  023  024  025  026  027  028  029  030  031  032  033  034  035  036  037

Section I. Preliminary view. 22

Section 11. a to k as above. 23

Chapter V. Plastic Clay. 37  038  039  040  041  042  043  044  045  046  047  048  049  050  051  052  053  054  055  056

Section I. General view, a to k as before. 37

Section II. Local details.  42
a. Near Reading; 42
b. Near London: 44
c. Newhaven;  51
d. Dorsetshire;  53
e. Isle of Wight. 54

Appendix. On the Formations above the Chalk in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. 56  056




BOOK II. SUPERMEDIAL ORDER.

Synonymes.-This class includes generally all the secondary formations more recent than the great Coal-deposit, and between it and the Tertiary or Newest Floetz class. As the first Floetz Limestone of Werner corresponds with the lowest calcareous formation of this order, it may be said to be coextensive with the Floetz class of his school, as distinguished from the Newest Floetz; but some Wernerians include the Coal-deposits among the Floetz, while others refer them to the Transition oider.

Introduction, comprising a General View of this Order. 59  059  060  061  062

Chapter I. The Chalk Formation.  62

Section I. General and introductory observations: 62  062  063  064  065  066  067
(a) on the connection of the Chalk and more recent beds; (b) on the Foreign localities of this formation.

Section II. Particular account of the Chalk formation: 67  067  068  069  070  071  072  073  074  075  076  077  078  079  080  081  082  083  084  085  086  087  088  089
 a. chemical and external characters; b. mineral contents; c. organic remains ; d. range and extent ; e. elevation ; f. thickness; g. inclination ; h. agricultural character; i. phoenomena of water and springs; k. miscellaneous remarks.

[p.72] The chalk presents us with phoenomena very different from those of the more recent formations. ... probably not a single species will be found, identical in all its characters with any now known to exist.

> starfish, sponges, extinct species --  Ammonites (ovate and circular), Scaphites, Belemnites

Section III. Particular view of the Sections of this formation in the cliffs of the Southern coast 89  089  090  091  092  093  094  095  096  097  098  099  100  101  102  103  104  105  106  107  108  109  110  111  112  113  114  115  116  117  118  119
(a) Isle of Thanet, 89
(b) near Dover,  90
Chalk with numerous flints 93
Chalk with Few Flints 99
Chalk without Flints 101
Grey Chalk 104
(c) Sussex Cliffs, 105
(d) Isle of Wight, 107
(e) Isle of Purbeck, 110
(f) between Lyme and Sidmouth; 114
(g) Comparative view of the opposite French coast. 115

Chapter II. Beds between the Chalk and Oolitic series. 119

Section I. General and Introductory;  119  119  120  121  122  123
(a) general enumeration of the series as ascertained in England,
(b) Foreign localities.

Section II. Chalk Marle, a to k. as before. 123  123  124  125  126  127


Section III. Green Sand, a to k as before. 127  127  128  129  130  131  132  133


Section IV. Weald Clay, a to k. as before. 133  133  134  135  136


Section V. Iron Sand, a to k. as before. 136  136  137  138  139  140  141  142  143  144

Section VI. VII. VIII. & IX. Particular account of the distribution of these formations in the several districts occupied by them.
Sect. 6. in the Weald;  144  144  145  146  147  148  149  150  151  152  153  154  155  156  157
Sect. 7. in the Isle of Wight;  157  157  158
Sect. 8. Isle of Purbcck;  158  158  159  160  161
Sect 9. Midland counties. 161  161  162  163  164


Chapter III. Oolilic series, including all the Strata between the iron Sand and Red Marle, or New Red Sandstone. 165

Section I. General view;  165  165  166  167  168  169  170
(a) of these formations in England;
(b) Foreign localities.

Section II. Upper division. 170  170  171  172  173  174  175  176  177  178  179  180  181  182  183  184  185
 1. Purbeck beds, a to k. as before. 170
 2. Portland Oolite, a to k. 172
 3. Kimmeridge Clay, a to k. 177

Section III. Middle division of Oolites.  185  185  186  187  188  189  190  191  192  193  194  195  196  197  198  199  200
 1. Coral Rag, a to k. 185
 2. Oxford Clay, a to k. 193

Section IV (V) & V (VI). Lower division.  200
 Sect. IV (V). Upper members of the series associated with the Great Oolite, including Cornbrash, Stonesfield slate, Forest Marble, and Great Oolite, a to k. as before.  200  200  201  202  203  204  205  206  207  208  209  210  211  212  213  214  215  216  217  218  219  220  221  222  223  224  225  226  227  228  229  230  231  232  233  234
 Sect. V (VI) . Its lower members: Fullers' Earth, Inferior Oolite, Sand and Marlestone. 234  234  235  236  237  238  239  240  241  242  243  244  245  246  247  248  249  250  251  252  253  254  255  256  257  258  259  260  261

Section VI (VII). Lias (forming the base of the Oolitic series) a to k. as before. 261  261  262  263  264  265  266  267  268  269  270  271  272  273  274  275  276  277  278


Chapter IV. Formations betecn the Lias and Coal Strata. 278

Section I. Red Marle or New Red Sandstone, a to k. as before. 278  278  279  280  281  282  283  284  285  286  287  288  289  290  291  292  293  294  295  296  297  298  299  300
(An account of the Conglomerates and Amygdaloid of Devonshire is given among the local particulars under the head range and extent.)

Section II. Newer Magnesian, or Conglomerate Limestone, a to k. 300  300  301  302  303  304  305  306  307  308  309  310
Synonyme. First Floetz Limestone of Werner

Section III. Comparative view of analogous Formations in other countries. 310  310  311  312  313  314  315  316  317  318  319  320

Contents Book III 321



BOOK III. MEDIAL or CARBONIFEROUS ORDER.

Independent Coal-formation of Werner.

Chapter I. General view.
The characters of these formations are treated generally under the same heads as in the former Books: but the description of their range and extent, height, and other local phcenornena, are necessarily referred to the following Chapters, which treat of the several English Coal districts in their geographical order.
Section I. Introductory.  323  323  324  325  326
Section II. Of the Coal-measures; 326  326  327  328  329  330  331  332  333  334  335  336  337  338  339  340  341  342  343  344  345  346  347  348  349
with a preliminary view of analagous deposits in other geological situations.
Section III. Of the Millstone-grit and Shale. 349  349  350  351  352
Section IV. Of the Carboniferous or Mountain Limestone. 352   352  353  354  355  356  357  358  359  360  361  362
Section V. Of the Old Red Sandstone. 362  362  363  364  365

Chapter II. Coal-district north of Trent, or Grand Penine chain. 365
Introductory view of the general features of this district 365  365  366  367  368  369
Section I. Coal formations in the fields of ... 369  369  370  371  372  373  374  375  376  377  378  379  380  381  382  383  384  385  386
a. Northumberland and Durham.  369
b. North of Yorkshire. 377
c. South Yorkshire Nottingham and Derby. 378
d. South of Derby. 381
e. North Stafford. 381
f. South Lancashire. 382
g. North Lancashire. 384
h. Cumberland or Whitehiven. 385
i. Foot of Cross Fell. 386
Section II. Millstone-grit & Shale throughout the Penine chain. 386  386  387  388  389  390  391  392  393
Section III. Carboniferous Limestone of the Penine Chain 393  393  394  395  396  397  398  399  400  401  402
Section IV. Old Red Sandstone, on North-west of the Penine chain. 402  402

Chapter III. Central Coal-district. Coal-formation, &c. in the fields of: 403
Section I. Ashby de la Zouch. 403  403  404  405  406
Section II. Warwickshire. 406  406  407
Section III. South Stafford or Dudley. 407  407  408  409  410  411  412  413  414  415  416  417
Section IV. Indications near the Lickey hill, &c. 417  417

Chapter IV. Western Coal-district; divided into: 417
Section I. North Western or North Welsh  Coal-fields 417  417  418  419
1. Isle of Anglesea. 417
2. Flintshire. 418
Section II. Middle Western or Shropshirre Coal-fields of:  419  420  421  422  423  424  425 
a. Plain of Shrewsbury. 419
b. Coalbrook dale. 420
c. The Clee hills and Billingsley.  422
d. Near the Abberley hills. 424
Section III. Great South-Western Coal District 425  426  427  428  429  430  431  432  433  434  435  436
Coal-formation in the basins of
1. South Wales,  426
2. Forest of Dean. 428
3. South Gloucester and Sommerset. 428
a. Coal-Measures 428
b. Millstone-grit 430
c. Mountain Limestone 430
d. Old Red Sandstone 434

Chapter V. Trap rocks occurring in association with the coal-measures 437  437  438  439  440  441  442  443
Particular description and localities of the Trap rocks 443
I. Beds overlying masses, and dykes, of trap in Nothumberland and Durham 443  443  444  445  446  447  448
II. Trap rocks of Derbyshire 448  448  449  450  451  452  453  454  455  456
III. (V) Greenstone Beds of Grifdfe in the Warwickshire Coal-field 456  456  457
IV. (VI) Trap Rocks of Staffordshire 457  457  458  459
V. (VII) Secondary Traps of Shropshire 459  459  460  461

Chapter VI. Comparative view of the distribution of the Carboniferous formations in other countries. 461  461  462  463  464  465  466  467  468  469  470



Organic remains of the beds above the Chalk.

This list is inserted on a separate sheet instead of being incorporated in the text, because at the time this part of the work passed through the press it was not intended to enter so much into detail upon this branch of the subject as was afterwards judged expedient; by this addition the work will now be found to contain full catalogues of the Organic remains contained in the various formations, so far as it was possible to refer to figures: unfigured species have seldom been noticed, because a bare name could give little information,

These lists include all the species figured by Mr. Sowerby in the three first volumes of his Mineral Conchology: in the second volume it is intended to give additional lists embracing the figures which may be published during the interval. The present list was chiefly drawn up by Mr. Miller.

Note: The lists read in column sequence: col-1  col-2  col-3  col-4  col-5  col-6  col-7  col-8