Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt
Encyclopedia
Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt (11 May 1811 - 12 March 1888) was an English
vice-admiral, hydrographer and geologist
.
He was born at Woodway House
, East Teignmouth
, the eldest surviving son of Commander James Spratt
, RN, a hero of Trafalgar. He entered the navy in 1827 and was attached to the surveying branch on "HMS Victory". He was engaged almost continuously until 1863 in surveying the Mediterranean. As commander of the "Spitfire" he rendered distinguished service in the Black Sea
during the Crimean War
, and was appointed CB
in 1855.
At an earlier date he was associated with Edward Forbes
, then naturalist to the "Beacon", and during the years 1841-1843 they made observations on the bathymetrical distribution of marine life. He was specially indebted to Forbes for his interest in natural history
and geology
, and together they published Travels in Lycia, etc. (1847). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society as The author of Travels in Lycia, & Important papers in the Journals of the Geological & Geographical Societies
Whilst on sick leave in Teignmouth due to the after effects of malaria
he investigated the movements of the Sand Bars at Teignmouth and suggested practical means of improving the entrance to the harbour. He published his research in 1856 and was congratulated by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
, who was building the South Devon Railway
at the time, for the clarity and practicality of his work.
Spratt investigated the caves at Malta
and obtained remains of the pygmy elephant
(Elephas melitensis), which was described by Hugh Falconer
. He investigated the geology of several Greek islands, also the shores of Asia Minor
, and made detailed observations on the Nile delta
.
He was especially distinguished for his Travels and Researches in Crete (2 vols., 1865), in which he ably described the physical geography
, geology, archaeology
(Eleutherna Bridge
) and natural history of the island. Two fossil species were named in his honour and several books were dedicated to him. He was commissioner of fisheries from 1866 to 1873; and acting conservator of the Mersey
from 1879 until the close of his life.
He died at Tunbridge Wells
on 12 March 1888. He had married in Sophia Price; they had one son.
Trivia: One of the maps made by Thomas Spratt known as 'Spratt's Map' was used by archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann
, Wilhelm Dorpfeld
and Carl Blegen
, which contributed to the discovery of Troy
, because the name Troy with a question mark was added by a German professor of classical antiquities working with Spratt over the spot of the real Troy. He had added it, because it was above the ruins of the identified Greek city of Novo Ilium (New Troy.) Schliemann simply looked at the map he was using, saw Troy with a question mark, and thought that it would be a good place to start digging leading to the discovery of Troy. This was covered in the book The Ulysses Voyage, by Tim Severin
.
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...
vice-admiral, hydrographer and geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
.
He was born at Woodway House
Woodway House
Woodway House is in Teignmouth, South Devon, England. It was at one time a farm on lands held by the Bishops of Exeter. In around 1815 a thatched 'cottage' in the 'cottage orne' style of Horace Walpole's Thames-side villa, Strawberry Hill, was built here by Captain James Spratt R.N.Walpole built...
, East Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
, the eldest surviving son of Commander James Spratt
James Spratt
Commander James Spratt , was an officer in the Royal Navy and became known as one of the heroes of the Battle of Trafalgar. Spratt was also the father of Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt, English vice-admiral, hydrographer and geologist....
, RN, a hero of Trafalgar. He entered the navy in 1827 and was attached to the surveying branch on "HMS Victory". He was engaged almost continuously until 1863 in surveying the Mediterranean. As commander of the "Spitfire" he rendered distinguished service in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, and was appointed CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1855.
At an earlier date he was associated with Edward Forbes
Edward Forbes
Professor Edward Forbes FRS, FGS was a Manx naturalist.-Early years:Forbes was born at Douglas, in the Isle of Man. While still a child, when not engaged in reading, or in the writing of verses and drawing of caricatures, he occupied himself with the collecting of insects, shells, minerals,...
, then naturalist to the "Beacon", and during the years 1841-1843 they made observations on the bathymetrical distribution of marine life. He was specially indebted to Forbes for his interest in natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and 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...
, and together they published Travels in Lycia, etc. (1847). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society as The author of Travels in Lycia, & Important papers in the Journals of the Geological & Geographical Societies
Whilst on sick leave in Teignmouth due to the after effects of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
he investigated the movements of the Sand Bars at Teignmouth and suggested practical means of improving the entrance to the harbour. He published his research in 1856 and was congratulated by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, who was building the South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway could mean:* South Devon Railway Company - the company that built the railway from Exeter to Plymouth* South Devon Railway Trust - the heritage railway from Totnes to BuckfastleighOther heritage railways in South Devon include:...
at the time, for the clarity and practicality of his work.
Spratt investigated the caves at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and obtained remains of the pygmy elephant
Pygmy Elephant
So-called pygmy elephants are reported to be living in both Africa and Asia. The African pygmy elephant, formerly described as "Loxodonta pumilio", is currently considered to be a tiny morph of the African Forest Elephant So-called pygmy elephants are reported to be living in both Africa and Asia....
(Elephas melitensis), which was described by Hugh Falconer
Hugh Falconer
Hugh Falconer MD FRS was a Scottish geologist, botanist, palaeontologist and paleoanthropologist. He studied the flora, fauna and geology of India, Assam and Burma, and was the first to suggest the modern evolutionary theory of punctuated equilibrium...
. He investigated the geology of several Greek islands, also the shores of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, and made detailed observations on the Nile delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
.
He was especially distinguished for his Travels and Researches in Crete (2 vols., 1865), in which he ably described the physical geography
Physical geography
Physical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
, geology, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
(Eleutherna Bridge
Eleutherna Bridge
The Eleutherna Bridge is an ancient Greek corbel arch bridge near the Cretan town of Eleutherna, Greece.The well-preserved structure has a single span of 3.95 m, which is quite large for a false arch. The opening is cut from the unmortared limestone blocks in the shape of an isosceles...
) and natural history of the island. Two fossil species were named in his honour and several books were dedicated to him. He was commissioner of fisheries from 1866 to 1873; and acting conservator of the Mersey
Mersey
Mersey may refer to:* River Mersey, in northwest England* Mersea Island, off the coast of Essex in England * Mersey River in the Australian state* Electoral division of Mersey in the state of Tasmania, Australian...
from 1879 until the close of his life.
He died at Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
on 12 March 1888. He had married in Sophia Price; they had one son.
Trivia: One of the maps made by Thomas Spratt known as 'Spratt's Map' was used by archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, and an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer. Schliemann was an archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns...
, Wilhelm Dorpfeld
Wilhelm Dörpfeld
Wilhelm Dörpfeld was a German architect and archaeologist, the pioneer of stratigraphic excavation and precise graphical documentation of archaeological projects...
and Carl Blegen
Carl Blegen
Carl William Blegen was an American archaeologist famous for his work on the site of Pylos in modern day Greece and Troy in modern day Turkey...
, which contributed to the discovery of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, because the name Troy with a question mark was added by a German professor of classical antiquities working with Spratt over the spot of the real Troy. He had added it, because it was above the ruins of the identified Greek city of Novo Ilium (New Troy.) Schliemann simply looked at the map he was using, saw Troy with a question mark, and thought that it would be a good place to start digging leading to the discovery of Troy. This was covered in the book The Ulysses Voyage, by Tim Severin
Tim Severin
Tim Severin is a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society...
.