George Bellas Greenough, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

George Bellas Greenough

English geologist

Date of Birth: 18-Jan-1778

Place of Birth: London

Date of Death: 02-Apr-1855

Profession: politician, geologist

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

George Bellas Greenough FRS FGS (18 January 1778 – 2 April 1855) was a pioneering English geologist.
He is best known as a synthesizer of geology rather than as an original researcher.
Trained as a lawyer, he was a talented speaker and his annual addresses as founding president of the Geological Society of London were influential in identifying and guiding contemporary geological research.
Greenough advocated an empirical approach to the early science; his scepticism of theoretical thinking courted controversy amongst some contemporaries, especially his doubts of the usefulness of fossils in correlating strata.
He compiled a geological map of England and Wales, published in 1820 and in the penultimate year of his life used similar methods to produce the first geological map of British India.
Greenough characterised himself as follows: bright eyes, silver hair, large mouth, ears and feet; fondness for generalisation, for system and clearliness; great diligence, patience and zeal; goodnature but hasty; firmness of principle; hand for gardening.