| Administrative History | The reference to George Bellas Greenough concerns the subject of his Presidential Address in February 1834. Greenough disagreed with Charles Lyell's assertion of the elevation of land by earthquakes, which Lyell had written about in his book 'Principles of Geology'. However, instead of directly attacking the author, Greenough took issue with one of the eyewitness accounts which Lyell cited - that of Maria Graham [later Lady Maria Callcott]. Graham's paper “An Account of some Effects of the late Earthquakes in Chili”, had been published in the 'Transactions of the Geological Society' in 1824.
Lady Callcott took exception to being called a liar, and published a vigorous defence in 1834. The controversy rolled on for another year or so, resulting in other papers on the subject of earthquakes or raised beaches being sent to the Society. |