Searles Valentine Wood
Encyclopedia
Searles Valentine Wood was an English
palaeontologist.
Wood went to sea in 1811 as a midshipman
in the British East India Company
's service, which he left, however, in 1826. He then settled at Hasketon
near Woodbridge, Suffolk
. He devoted himself to a study of the mollusca
of the Newer Tertiary (Crag) of Suffolk
and Norfolk
, and the Older Tertiary (Eocene
) of the Hampshire Basin
. On the latter subject he published A Monograph of the Eocene Bivalves of England (1861–1871), issued by the Palaeontographical Society
. His chief work was A Monograph of the Crag Mollusca (1848–1856), published by the same society, for which he was awarded the Wollaston medal
in 1860 by the Geological Society of London
; a supplement was issued by him in 1872-1874, a second in 1879, and a third (edited by his son) in 1882. He died at Martlesham
, near Woodbridge
.
His son, Searles Valentine Wood (1830-1884), was for some years a solicitor
at Woodbridge, but gave up the profession and devoted his energies to geology
, studying especially the structure of the deposits of the crag
and glacial drifts.
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...
palaeontologist.
Wood went to sea in 1811 as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service, which he left, however, in 1826. He then settled at Hasketon
Hasketon
Hasketon is a small village in Suffolk, England.Its church, St. Andrews, is one of 38 existing round-tower churches in Suffolk. St. Andrews stands more or less at the centre of its scattered parish, and is set in a tree-shaded churchyard which, in 1845, had been planted with beech, fir and...
near Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
. He devoted himself to a study of the mollusca
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
of the Newer Tertiary (Crag) of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and the Older Tertiary (Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
) of the Hampshire Basin
Hampshire Basin
The Hampshire Basin is a geological basin of Paleogene age in southern England, underlying parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, and Sussex...
. On the latter subject he published A Monograph of the Eocene Bivalves of England (1861–1871), issued by the Palaeontographical Society
Palaeontographical Society
The Palaeontographical Society is a learned society established in 1847 and specifically devoted to the advancement of palaeontographical knowledge, i.e., palaeontology...
. His chief work was A Monograph of the Crag Mollusca (1848–1856), published by the same society, for which he was awarded the Wollaston medal
Wollaston Medal
The Wollaston Medal is a scientific award for geology, the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London.The medal is named after William Hyde Wollaston, and was first awarded in 1831...
in 1860 by the Geological Society of London
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"...
; a supplement was issued by him in 1872-1874, a second in 1879, and a third (edited by his son) in 1882. He died at Martlesham
Martlesham
Martlesham is a village in Suffolk, England about two miles South-West of Woodbridge and East of Ipswich. It is often referred to as "old Martlesham" by locals in order to distinguish this old village from the much more recent Martlesham Heath development to the south although both form a...
, near Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
.
His son, Searles Valentine Wood (1830-1884), was for some years a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
at Woodbridge, but gave up the profession and devoted his energies to geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, studying especially the structure of the deposits of the crag
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
and glacial drifts.