English geologist and cartographer

William Smith is often called the founder of English geology, and the founder of stratigraphical geology. His interests in fossils and the countryside led to a method to identify rock strata, along with the first large-scale geological maps of any country. Smith contributed many practical innovations to the embryonic science of geology, and rose from humble beginnings to become a well known and respected scientific figure.

Smith was the eldest son of a village blacksmith, in Churchill, Oxfordshire. His father died when he was still young, and he was sent to live on his Uncle's nearby farm. He attended the small local school, receiving a limited education, but his interest in mathematics was encouraged by friends and relatives, who gave him further tuition. Smith's local reputation as an intelligent boy led him to become employed as an assistant to the...