Skip to main content

Letters from Jackson, Charles Thomas to Charles Lyell, 22 March 1845 - 20 September 1866

 File — Box: Box 1.7
Identifier: Coll-203/1/142

Scope and Contents

The correspondence between Charles Thomas Jackson and Charles Lyell mainly concerns the geology of the United States and Jackson's discoveries. Specific subjects include: Ether, New Brunswick, Paleonisci, and Abraham Gesner. Lyell or his team, have summarised the letters, either on the envelope, or on the letter itself - usually in the space allocated to the address. Where there is a summary, it has been transcribed here.
  1. 'Dr. Jackson March 1845, Geology of Maine, Lake Superior, Dr. Gesner'. Additional details: Jackson details the geological papers that he has written on Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, which include coal formation on the Potomac, and Silurian rock, and references the work of Ebenezer Emmons and H.D. Rogers. Jackson relates that current state legislature will not aid his geological research; that Dr. Gesner has been justly discharged from the New Brunswick Journey; and of silver and copper mine near Lake Superior
  2. '(1) Dr. C.T. Jackson, L[ake] Superior (copper) red sandst[one] not same age as New red of Nova Scotia & Connect[icut] R[iver]. but Upper Silurian, Dec[ember] 1850'. Additional details: drawings of Silurian and sandstone. Jackson starts the letter by talking of his geological report of Michigan, and of Mr. Crossley, whose name has been stricken from the book. The rest of the letter is dedicated to red sandstone and Silurian in Nova Scotia
  3. '(2) Dr. C. Jackson on potholes under New England drift rec[eive]d Sept 6. 1850'. Has Envelope, has notes in the margins of the page. Additional details: the letter details the geological phenomena of potholes in New Jersey
  4. No summary, 26 June 1851. Jackson has found several fish fossil with scales in Albert County, New Brunswick, as well as flora. He talks of earning recognition for his discovery of ether. There are several notes and drawings in the margins.
  5. No summary, 30 July 1851. Jackson begins the letter explaining his reading related to the fish fossil he discovered (mentioned in letter 4). He then talk of the chemical analysis he is doing at the mine where he found the fossils. At the end of the letter, Jackson furthers his discussion of his intellectual property of the discovery of ether
  6. On envelope summarised as '(3) C.T. Jackson Etherization [sic] claims Paleonisci in N[ew] Brunswick 1851'. Summarised on letter as 'Dr. Jackson (C.T.) of Boston rec[ieve]d Sept 26. 1851, New Brunswick Paleonisci, sent to G[eological] Soc[iety] by me (4)'. Additional details: Jackson writes of his discovery a genus of fish from the fossil in New Brunswick. He also mentions asking Abbott Lawrence about awards he could receive in England for his discovery of ether.
  7. 'Dr. C.T. Jackson (5) Coal, structure of Teschemacher rec[ieve]d Sept. 1857'. Additional details: there are coordinates listed on the pages after Jackson's signature; there is a long post script; information on the fish genus that Jackson discovered; the Department of the Interior; lithography; the Albert Co., Coal.
  8. 'Jackson 1 gold deposits & metamorphic rocks California Dec 2/1865'. Additional details: contains sheets from a scientific journal stating a correction crediting Jackson with a discovery, The letter is concerned with the geology of the western United States. Jackson also talks about his family.
  9. 'Dr. Jackson 2 California skull Sept 20th 1866'. Additional details: Jackson writes of a Pliocene skull discovered in California, silver mining in the western United States, and the death of his friend A.A. Gould of Asiatic cholera. Newspaper clippings announcing Gould's death are enclosed

Dates

  • Creation: 22 March 1845 - 20 September 1866

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Extent

9 letters

Privacy & Cookies | Takedown Policy | Licensing & Copyright | Accessibility | Centre for Research Collections | LHSA | Contact us at HeritageCollections@ed.ac.uk

ArchivesSpace release-v3.5.x

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © 2018 University of Edinburgh.