Henry of the Spade

Sir Henry Thomas of the Spade (February 10th 1796 - April 13rd 1855) is a British geologist .

His/her father, officer in the army and owner in Jamaica, die during his childhood. He passes his youth with his mother to Lyme Regis where he takes taste with the Géologie. At 14 years, it enters to the military college of Great Marlow.

The peace of 1815 transforms its career. At the 21 years age, it enters to the Geological Society off London of which it is one of the most active members until the end of its life. He is president in 1848 and 1849. He visits many interesting localities from a geological point of view, not only with the the United Kingdom but also on the continent, in France and Suisse. Of return to the United Kingdom, it begins a detailed study of the Roche S of Cornouailles and Devon. Its contacts with the mining community give him the idea that the nation must compile a geological map of the United Kingdom and collect and preserve samples to illustrate and help the future developments of this industry.

The government urges it to take part in the Ordnance Survey (OS), the British equivalent of IGN, initiator of the geological survey of Great Britain which is officially recognized in 1835, date where Spade becomes its director. More and more of samples arrive at London and the building of Craigs Court , which shelters the new whole off Museum Economic Geology , becomes too small. Spade calls some with the authorities to provide a larger structure and to widen the sphere of activity of the scientific establishment which it chairs. The Parliament votes the construction of a natural history museum in Jermyn Street and the organization of a group of professors and the construction of laboratories. The new building combines the geological raised , the museum of geology practices , the royal school of the mines and the registry office of the concessions . It is open in 1851.

Spade off publishes many reports on British geology in the Transactions the Geological Society off London and in the Memoirs off the Geological Survey , in particular:

Carryforward one the Geology off Cornwall, Devon and West Somerset (1839)
has Geological Manual (1831);
Researches in Theoretical Geology (1834), where it very states a philosophical treatment of the questions of geology in advance for its time.
How to Observe Geology (1835 and 1836), which it includes and widens in The Geological Observer (1851, second edition 1853).

He is elected member of the Royal Society in 1819 and is made knight in 1848. In 1855 it receives the Médaille Wollaston.

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