William Topley F.R.S., F.G.S.
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Timeline
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 1841 | Born March 13th at Greenwich. |
| 1858-1861 | Student at Royal School of Mines. |
| 1862 | Appointed Assistant Geologist on Geological Survey. |
| Field work in Wealden area under Le Neve Foster. Elected F.G.S. | |
| 1865 | Joint paper with Foster on “Denudation of the Weald” (Q.J.), |
| Memoir on the Weald published 1875. | |
| 1868 | Promoted to Geologist. |
| Worked in Northumberland and Durham Coalfield, chiefly on Carboniferous and Glacial Drifts. With Lebour studied Whin Sill and proved its intrusive character. | |
| 1872 | Committee of sub-Wealden exploration began work. Topley sent by Geological Survey to report on borings. |
| 1872-1878 | 15 times Secretary of Geology Section at British Association. |
| 1874 | Association of Institution of Civil Engineers. |
| 1875 | Examiner in Geology to Durham University. Succeeded Bristow as examiner to Science and Art Department. |
| 1880 | Field work in Northumberland abandoned. |
| Moved to Jermyn Street to superintend publication of maps and memoirs. | |
| 1881 | Appointed to superintend publication of British section of geological map of Europe, promised by International Geological Congress. |
| 1885 | President of Geologists Association. |
| Report on National Geological Surveys of Europe. | |
| 1888 | Elected F.R.S. |
| 1888 | Prepared with Goodchild geological map of Europe for vol. II of Prestwich’s Geology. |
| 1893 | Took entire charge of office [Jermyn Street] on retirement of Edward Best. |
| 1894 | Offered Chair of Committee of Bibliography at International Geological Congress at Zurich. |
| 1894 | Died September 30th. |
Biographies and obituaries
Proceedings of Royal Society vol. LIX (1896) p. lxix
Woodward, H. (1894). William Topley, F.R.S., F.G.S. Geological Magazine, 1(12), 570-575. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800145418
Quarterly Journal Geological Society vol. LI (1895)
William Topley (geologist) — Wikipedia article
Obituary: Prof. G. A. Lebour. Nature. 100 (2521): 487. 21 February 1918. doi:10.1038/100487a0.
W., W. William Topley, F.R.S. Nature 50, 579–580 (1894). https://doi.org/10.1038/050579a0
Thackray, John C. Topley, William(1841–1894) https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/27556
William Topley Obituary ICE Virtual Library
Bonney, Thomas George. Topley, William Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 57
Kirkaldy, J.F. William Topley and ‘The Geology of the Weald’ Proceedings of the Geologists' Association Volume 86, Issue 4, 1975, Pages 372-388 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7878(75)80056-3
McKimm, Michael Topographic Topley. Geoscientist 21.09 October 2011
Publications
Completed 21 Survey maps. Published 82 papers and Memoirs on subjects: Phosphates; silver and gold; Channel Tunnel; Coal in Kent; Water-supply; petroleum; sanitation.
Works listed in the BGS Library catalogue
Survey publications
Topley, W. ; Aveline, W.T. ; Bristow, H.W. ; Drew, F. ; Etheridge, R. ; Foster, C.L.N. ; Gould, C. (1875). The geology of the Weald (parts of the counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hants) (in part from the notes and mss of HW Bristow, WT Aveline, F Drew, C Gould and CLN Foster) (list of fossils revised by R Etheridge). (Memoir (District) Geological Survey of GB). London : HMSO.
External publications
Topley, W. (1887). Gold and silver : their geological distribution and their probable future production. In: British Association for the Advancement of Science (1887) p. 1-26 (1887) ; p. 1-26.
Topley, W. ; International Geological Congress (1881). The International Geological Congress, Bologna, 1881. Geological Magazine Dec. II Vol. 8 pt/no 12 (1881) p. 1-4 (1881) ; p. 1-4.
Topley, W. (1893). The landslip at Sandgate. The Proceedings of the Geologists Association Vol. 13 pt/no 2 (1893) p. 40-47 (1893) ; p. 40-47.
Topley, W. The national geological surveys of Europe.
Diller, J.S. ; Topley, W. Notes on the geology of the Troad : a brief summary of the results derived from the observations made in connexion with the Assos (U.S.) expedition. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 39 1883 p.627-636.
Topley, W. (1885). Notes on the physical geography and geology of western Canada. Report of the west Kent Natural History, Microscopical and Photographic Society (1885) p. 1-7 (1885) ; p. 1-7.
Topley, W. ; British Association for the Advancement of Science. On the correspondence between some areas of apparent upheaval and the thickening of subajacent beds : IN: British Association Reports; 1873 Transactions p91.
Topley, W. ; Lebour, G.A.L. ; British Association for the Advancement of Science. On the Whin Sill of Northumberland. British Association Reports 1873, Transactions p92.
Topley, W. ; British Association for the Advancement of Science (1886). Report of the Committee on the Erosion of the Sea-Coasts of England and Wales. London : British Association for the Advancement of Science .
Topley, W. ; Medical Times and Gazette. Sanitary Commission ; Lancet. Sanitary Commission (1875). Report [on the] water supply of Hastings. Hastings : F.J. Parsons.
International Geological Congress ; Woodward, H.B. ; Hughes, T.M. ; Topley, W. ; Jukes-Browne, A.J. Reports of the British Sub-committees on Classification and Nomenclature (2nd ed). Compte rendu de la 4me Congres Geologique International, Londres, 1888. London: [The Congress] Appendix B.
Ward, J.C. ; Topley, W. (1875-1879). Rock structure. XII. [S.l.] : [s.n.].
Sorby, H.C. ; Geological Society of London ; British Association for the Advancement of Science ; Royal Microscopical Society (Great Britain) ; Geological and Polytechnic Society of the West Riding of Yorkshire ; Topley, W. (1857-1880). Rock structure. XIII. [S.l.] : [s.n.].
Topley, W. (1885). Some points of comparison between Belgian and English Geology. The Geology of Belgium and the French Ardennes (1885) p. 1-16 (1885) ; p. 1-16.
Topley, W. (1874). The sub-wealden exploration. Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers Vol. 23 pt/no 6 (1874) p. 185-188 (1874) ; p. 185-188.
Topley, W. ; Buckland, G. ; Tomson, J. ; Heathorn, R. ; Whitehead, C. ; Way, J.T. ; Paine, J. M. ; Farncombe, J. ; Evershed, H. ; Evershed, S. ; Trimmer, J. ; Topley, W. (1845-1877). Agriculture, south east England. (Survey pamphlet; 18e).
Topley, W. (1874). The Channel Tunnel : Reprinted from: Popular Science Review 13 1874 p394-403, map. (1874).
Freire-Marreco, A. ; Hill, A. ; Moffitt, R. ; Jervis, W.P. ; Galloway, W. ; De Rance, C.E. ; Ward, J.C. ; Burder, G.F. ; Gardiner, E.J.L. ; Fryer, A.C. ; MacCulloch, J. ; Woodward, H.B. ; Davy, J. ; Schneider, H.W. ; Durden, E.H. ; Thorp, W. ; Sorby, H.C. ; Watson, J. ; Hunt, R. ; Wright, T. ; Sopwith, T. ; Richardson, T. ; Daglish, J. ; Forster, G.B. ; Bell, I.L. ; Spencer, T. ; Robinson, H. ; Curry, J. ; Maw, G. ; Brigg, J. ; Gulland, J.K. ; Kendall, J.D. ; Aitken, J. ; Collins, J.H. ; Barrow, G. ; Topley, W. ; Dakyns, J.R. ; Andre, G.G. ; Foster, C.L.N. ; Halse, E. ; Holmes, T.V. ; Ashburner, C.A. ; Browett, A. ; Hull, E. ; Brierley, J. ; Wallis, A.M. ; Bedson, P.P. ; Shaw, J.L. ; Fream, W. ; Topley, W. (1855-1894). England and Wales : economic. (Survey pamphlet; 17).
International Geological Congress ; Topley, W. ; Woodward, H.B. (1888). Explications des excursions 4me Congres Geologique International, Londres, 1888. London : The Congress.
Jameson, R. ; Jukes, J.B. ; Marcou, J. ; Geikie, A. ; Hayden, F.V. ; Morton, G.H. ; Topley, W. ; Jukes-Browne, A.J. ; Powell, J.W. ; Topley, W. (1808-1894). Geological surveys, &c. (Survey pamphlet; 16o).
Topley, W. (1890). Geology in its relation to hygiene. Transactions of the Sanitary Institute Vol. 11 (1890) p. 1-11 (1890) ; p. 1-11.
Topley, W. The geology of Belgium and the French Ardennes : printed with especial reference to the excursion of the association to Belgium, August, 1885 papers : IN: Geologists' Association Supplementary and excursion papers, Vol.1, editor's guide The Association 59p, map.
BGS archives
| Ref No | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GSM/DR/Ge/A/5 | Correspondence on various matters: letters to J.Craik, J.Evans, F.H.Hatch, J.Horne, D.R.Irvine, B... | |
| GSM/GL/Bw/4 | Correspondence with W.Gunn, W.Topley and R S Black | |
| GSM/GL/Cl/9 | Correspondence from Clough to other geologists: letters to Flett, Kitchin, E.T.Newton, B.N.Peach... | |
| GSM/GL/Cm/3 | Correspondence: letters to Mr Brown, Jukes-Browne, Rudler (about Fullers Earth), W.Topley, W.W... | |
| GSM/GL/Dr/10 | Correspondence with other geologists inc. G.England, J.W.Gray, E.T.Newton, Teall and W.Topley.Some letters to De Rance. | |
| GSM/GL/Tp | W.Topley Obituary file. | William Topley joined the Survey in 1862. Mapping of the Weald. Produced memoir:' The Geology of the Weald' in 1875. |
| GSM/GL/Tp/3 | Notes on the geology of the Weald: rough notes by W.Topley, F.Drew, C.Gould, W.Whitaker and others with a volume of notes by C le N.Foster. |