A forgotten genius whose life was shaped by the Yorkshire landscape
FEW people in Yorkshire have ever heard of John Phillips (1800-1874) yet he was one of the most notable scientific figures of the 19th century, a brilliant polymath, one of the first great interpreters of the Yorkshire landscape, especially of the Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire coast. He first came to Yorkshire as a penniless 19-year old with his uncle, the great pioneering geologist, William Smith (1769-1839), producer of the first geological map of England and Wales. Smith had been made bankrupt and thrust into debtors’ prison unable to pay his debts. His nephew rescued him, and the gr...
Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk