Abstract
ABSTRACTSource materials for investigating the life of James Croll are examined and collated. This is organised around the topics of: Croll's Autobiographical sketch and the Memoir of his life and work, both contained within the volume produced by James Campbell Irons; publications by Croll; aspects of his genealogy; manuscript sources in publicly accessible archives and in private ownership; and other published sources.
Highlights
Published sources – including catalogues, thesis and digital resources. This arrangement might be considered unconventional in that it does not proceed from primary manuscript sources to secondary published ones
Of great importance is the brief 33-page Autobiographical sketch and the ‘Prefatory note’, which Croll had dictated to his wife prior to his death (Croll 1887; Edwards 2021)
There are six main archival depositories relating to James Croll with regard to the numbers of documents held – the British Library, the British Geological Survey, Haslemere Educational
Summary
An essential starting point for those interested in a considered study of Croll is the Autobiographical sketch of James Croll LL.D., F.R.S., etc. with memoir of his life and work (Irons 1896). The substantial (553-page) compilation of commentary and correspondence, together with Croll’s own Autobiographical sketch, was a labour of adulation by his solicitor friend, James Campbell Irons (1840– 1910), the son of David Irons, the Perth grocer who had inducted Croll into the ways of selling tea (one of Croll’s early careers). Of great importance is the brief 33-page Autobiographical sketch and the ‘Prefatory note’, which Croll had dictated to his wife prior to his death (Croll 1887; Edwards 2021). The Sketch contains information on his family history, upbringing, schooling, his many jobs and homes (Edwards & Robinson 2021), the joys and frustrations of his scientific life and the central importance to him of religion. The choice of publisher for the volume – Edward Stanford of Charing Cross, London – was probably linked to the fact that Croll had published two books with them, including one completed only weeks before his death (Croll 1885b, 1890b)
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