Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924) wrote memoirs of a number of scientists who were his contemporaries, including Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871) and Edward Forbes (1815-1854). He worked largely from original papers and letters of his former colleagues, collecting or borrowing them for this purpose.

His publication Memoir of Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay, ( 1895) was well received and it is likely that these letters were collected during the preparation for this work.

Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay(1814-1891)had a distinguished geological career. He preferred to concentrate on stratigraphy, rather than the more fashionable palaeontology. After employment with the Geological Survey of Great Britain, Sir Ramsay became professor of geology at University College, London in 1847. A period of teaching at the newly formed School of Mines was also undertaken. He returned to the Geological Survey of Great Britain as senior director for England and Wales in 1862, rising to director general in 1871. Sir Ramsay was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1862 and president of the Geological Society from 1862-1864.