Thomas Sopwith (geologist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Sopwith was an English
mining engineer born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Son of a cabinet maker, Sopwith maintained links with the family furniture and joinery business throughout his life. However, he soon became an illustrator of antiquities, then took up land and mineral surveying, and subsequently described himself as a civil engineer
. He invented, and the family firm manufactured, an ingenious type of desk with all its drawers secured by a single lock, the 'monocleid', which won a prize at the 1851 Exhibition
; an improved levelling stave; and wooden geological teaching models. He wrote a book on the Alston
mining area , and two editions (1834, 1838) of a treatise on the use of the isometric projection for drawing surveys .
His association with northern lead mines owned by the Greenwich Hospital regularly took him to London to report to Parliament, and he built up contacts there, especially in the area of geology, where he became a fellow of the Geological Society
(and its more exclusive Geological Club) in 1835, sponsored by John Phillips
. He travelled widely, first by coach, then on the railways and left records of the times, prices, and conditions of travel in his diaries spanning the years from 1821-1878.
He advocated the collection of mine surveys and was a founder of the Mining Record Office in 1838. He became a railway surveyor
and worked with George Stephenson
and Sir William Cubitt
creating the French railway network. He was an early user of 3-dimensional models both for practical illustration of regional geology (Forest of Dean; Ebbw Vale; Nentberry) and for teaching, for which he produced sets (as recommended by Charles Lyell in his 1841 Elements of Geology)
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1845. his candidature citation read: Thomas Sopwith Esq FGS London, Memb Inst CE and Member of the Geological Society of France, Civil Engineer [of] St Marys Terrace Newcastle on Tyne. The Author of a Treatise on Isometric Drawing. The Inventor or improver of Methods of representing Mineral structure by dissected Models.
He died in London and was buried at Norwood Cemetery. His son was a civil engineer
and his grandson, also called Thomas Sopwith
, founded the Sopwith Aviation Company
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mining engineer born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Son of a cabinet maker, Sopwith maintained links with the family furniture and joinery business throughout his life. However, he soon became an illustrator of antiquities, then took up land and mineral surveying, and subsequently described himself as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He invented, and the family firm manufactured, an ingenious type of desk with all its drawers secured by a single lock, the 'monocleid', which won a prize at the 1851 Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
; an improved levelling stave; and wooden geological teaching models. He wrote a book on the Alston
Alston, Cumbria
Alston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River South Tyne. It is one of the highest elevation towns in the country, at about 1,000 feet above sea level.-Geography:...
mining area , and two editions (1834, 1838) of a treatise on the use of the isometric projection for drawing surveys .
His association with northern lead mines owned by the Greenwich Hospital regularly took him to London to report to Parliament, and he built up contacts there, especially in the area of geology, where he became a fellow of the Geological Society
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
(and its more exclusive Geological Club) in 1835, sponsored by John Phillips
John Phillips (geologist)
John Phillips FRS was an English geologist.- Life and work :Philips was born at Marden in Wiltshire...
. He travelled widely, first by coach, then on the railways and left records of the times, prices, and conditions of travel in his diaries spanning the years from 1821-1878.
He advocated the collection of mine surveys and was a founder of the Mining Record Office in 1838. He became a railway surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and worked with George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
and Sir William Cubitt
William Cubitt
Sir William Cubitt was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type of windmill sail and the prison treadwheel, and was employed as chief engineer, at Ransomes of Ipswich,...
creating the French railway network. He was an early user of 3-dimensional models both for practical illustration of regional geology (Forest of Dean; Ebbw Vale; Nentberry) and for teaching, for which he produced sets (as recommended by Charles Lyell in his 1841 Elements of Geology)
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1845. his candidature citation read: Thomas Sopwith Esq FGS London, Memb Inst CE and Member of the Geological Society of France, Civil Engineer [of] St Marys Terrace Newcastle on Tyne. The Author of a Treatise on Isometric Drawing. The Inventor or improver of Methods of representing Mineral structure by dissected Models.
He died in London and was buried at Norwood Cemetery. His son was a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and his grandson, also called Thomas Sopwith
Thomas Sopwith
Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
, founded the Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith Aviation Company
The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force in the First World War, most famously the Sopwith Camel...