100 years ago

From the Report of the Geological Committee for 1904:

June 20th, 1904: - To Mr. George Young's Gravel Pit in Sydenham Road, Croydon.
Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., conducted the party, consisting of ten members. Mr. W. Bruce Bannerman, F.G.S., to whom the pit belonged, was also present, and gave information.
The section showed 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft. soil, above about 15 ft. of gravel and 1 ft. 6 in. of sand resting on London Clay, from which last were taken some iron pyrites and pyritised wood. In the gravel a quartzite pebble was found by Dr. Hinde. The gravel was formed almost entirely of subangular flints and a few "Blackheath" pebbles, but no sandstone, ironstone or other tertiary remains, except the quartzite, were noticed.
[Proceedings CNHSS, 6(2), lvii (1905)]

In 1896 William Whitaker retired from the Geological Survey and joined the Society, then the Croydon Microscopical and Natural History Club. He was elected President for 1899-1900 and again in 1911. At the end of 1903 he was living at "Freda", Campden Road in South Croydon and another Society member, Miss M de F Whitaker, was also living there. Later, Whitaker was to write an obituary of George Jennings Hinde FRS, FGS for the Geological Society of London in which he noted that:

"He greatly helped in the work of the Croydon Natural History Society, at the meetings of which he was a frequent attendant, especially at those of the Geological Section, where his advice and opinion were much valued. Several papers on local geology, dealing with the fire-stone, the Chalk, and the gravels, came from his pen; but he could never be induced to accept the office of President, to the great regret of the members."

At the time of the visit to his gravel pit, W Bruce Bannerman FSA etc was a Society member, having joined in 1898, and was living at "The Lindens", Sydenham Road, Croydon.

(See also 'George Jennings Hinde − a scientific man'
in this issue and an earlier '100 years ago' item)
 

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