Charles Lapworth

Berkshire-born Charles Lapworth was an Oxfordshire-trained teacher who studied the geology of the Scotland’s Southern Uplands whilst living and working for eleven years in Galashiels.

In the first half of the nineteenth century much work had been done to classify strata, layers of rock in the ground, and work out geological eras and the periods within them. From 1864 Lapworth analysed early Paleozoic era strata, and he used the occurrence of graptolite fossils to establish the order of these layers.

In 1873 he published an influential paper on these findings, paving the way for others all over the world to carry out similar research. During this time the Paleozoic era was split into Silurian and Cambrian periods, beginning 419.2 and 485.4 million years ago respectively.

In 1879 he proposed that the beds of rock between the Cambrian beds of north Wales and the Silurian beds of South Wales be given a new separate geological period. He named this the Ordovician, a period spanning some 41.6 million years, from 485.4 to 443.8 million years ago.

He continued his work at sites across the UK, including mapping an area near Durness in the Highlands where he proposed that older rock was lying above younger rock, a theory that was proved to be correct.

Lapworth received several prestigious awards during his lifetime including honorary doctorates from Aberdeen and Glasgow Universities, the Royal Society Royal Medal (1891), the Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society in London (1899), and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1916).