Jameson R
NAME: Jameson, Robert
ACHIEVEMENT(S): Promoted the “Neptunist” view of geology
NICKNAME/ALIAS: None
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: July 11, 1774, Leith, Scotland
DATE/PLACE OF DEATH/AGE AT DEATH: April 19, 1854, Edinburgh, Scotland; Aged 79
DISCIPLINE: Natural Historian
FIELD: Geology
LANGUAGE: English
PARENTS: Thomas Jameson; Catherine Paton
SIBLINGS: Unknown
SPOUSE: None
CHILDREN: None
EDUCATION: Edinburgh University
MAJOR WORK: "Mineralogy of the Scottish Isles"
LIFE AND TIMES:
At Edinburgh University, Jameson studied medicine, botany, chemistry, and natural history. But, inspired by his natural history professor, John Walker, who taught him geology and mineralogy, he decided to take up a career in geology. In 1793, at 23, he went to London to meet naturalists, and study in the museums. In 1794, he spent three months in the Shetland Islands, studying the geology, zoology, mineralogy, and botany of the islands.
In 1796, the year after being elected to the Royal Medical Society in Edinburgh, he presented two papers that supported some theories (later discredited) of German geologist <supporter of> Werner*: "Is the Volcanic Opinion of the Formation of Basaltes Founded on Truth?" and "Is the Huttonian Theory of the Earth Consistent With Fact?" (<questioned theory of> Hutton* theorized that basalt was igneous, not aqueous, as Werner wrongly maintained, and that the Earth was infinitely older than the 6,000 years maintained by the Bible.)
Jameson's first book, "An Outline of the Mineralogy of the Shetland Islands, and of the Island of Arran" was published in 1798. In 1799, he explored the Hebrides and the Western Isles, and then the Orkneys. From this field work came a major two-volume work, "Mineralogy of the Scottish Isles", which appeared in 1800.
Still under the influence of Werner, Jameson enrolled in the Freiberg School of Mines in 1800 so that he could study with him, returning to Scotland in 1802. After reading <influenced by> John Playfair*s defense of Hutton's theories, "Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory", Jameson published several articles defending Werner's theories in Nicholson's "Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts".
Awarded the chair of natural history at Edinburgh University in 1804, Jameson became an enthusiastic teacher and inspired his students -- with one significant exception: <he bored> Charles Darwin*, who was so bored by Jameson's Edinburgh lectures that he skipped geological lectures at Cambridge.
Over the next few years, Jameson published several significant works: "System of Mineralogy" (1804, with a second volume in 1805); "A Treatise on the External Characters of Minerals and A Mineralogical Description of the County of Dumfries" (1805); and a third volume of "System" (1808) that was the first full expression of Werner's ideas in English.
With eight other followers of Werner (a group known as the Neptunists) Jameson founded the Wernerian Natural History Society at Edinburgh, which published scholarly investigations.
In the eight volumes published during his presidency, Jameson contributed more than a dozen articles on such subjects geology-mineralogy, botany, and zoology.
With <collaborated with> Brewster,* in 1818, he founded the "Edinburgh Philosophical Journal", which published the works of leading scientists. He was its sole editor from 1824 to 1854.
Jameson also edited notes for a translation of <edited work of> Cuvier*'s "Essay on the Theory of the Earth". His efforts brought many contributions to Edinburgh University's natural history collection, and by 1852, the museum enjoyed a reputation second only to the British Museum. The collection was eventually donated to the Royal Scottish Museum.
After Werner's death in 1816, Jameson dropped many of Werner's more controversial theories.
ASSESSMENT: Though made no momentous contributions to geology, inspired many students to become natural historians
EXTRA CONNECTIONS: Knew <knew> Somerville*
His work related to that of <work related to> John Playfair*
ONELINER: Robert Jameson, geologist
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dictionary of Scientific Biography.