Darwin as Secretary of the Geological Society of London 1838-1841

Charles Darwin was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London on 30 November 1836. He was first mentioned and his Beagle work discussed by Adam Sedgwick on 18 November 1835 based on extracts from Henslow's pamphlet of Darwin's letters addressed to him. (Darwin 1835 F1). Sedgwick's communication was outlined in the Proceedings of the Geological Society. (Text Image PDF F1642) In his Presidential Address on 19 February 1836, Charles Lyell discussed Darwin's work in South America. (Text A6700)

In late 1837 Darwin was asked to become a Secretary of the Society. As is well known, he was not keen. As Darwin wrote to J. S. Henslow on 14 October 1837 "I know from experience the time required to make abstracts, even of my own papers, for the Proceedings. If I was secretary & had to make double abstracts of each paper, studying them before reading, and attendance would at least cost me three days (& often more) in the fortnight." (Correspondence, vol. 1)

In the end Darwin relented and served as a Secretary of the Society from 16 February 1838 to 19 February 1841. In 1843 Darwin was elected Vice-President. (Companion) The Society's Transactions had been published since 1811 and its Proceedings since 1826.

As Darwin noted in the letter to Henslow, the Secretaries abstracted papers for the Proceedings. Therefore, even though they are unsigned, Darwin's scientific publications should be considered to include the parts of the Proceedings he would have co-edited during his secretaryship. He is first listed as a Secretary in vol. 2, p. 622 (William John Hamilton served with him as a Secretary) At the start of vol. 3, pt. 3  no. 78  1841 Darwin is listed as a Fellow and no longer Secretary.

Excluding his own papers, which have always been listed amongst his publications, Darwin also contributed the following items to the Proceedings:

Bollaert, William. 1838. Description of the insulated masses of silver found in the mines of Huantaxaya, in the province of Tarapaca, Peru. Communicated by Mr. Darwin. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2: 598-599. PDF link

Darwin, C. R. & C. Lyell. 1838. Report of Museum Committee. Annual general meeting, 16 February. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London no. 55, 2: 604-6. Text Image PDF F3525

Darwin, C. R., C. Lyell & P. G. Egerton. 1840. Report of the Museum Committee. Annual general meeting, 21 February. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London no. 68, 3: 191-2. Text Image PDF F3465

Darwin, C. R., G. B. Greenhough & E. H. Bunbury. 1842. Report of Museum Committee. Annual general meeting, 18 February. Proceedings of the Geological Society no. 86, 3, part II: 610-617. Text Images PDFF3466

Bain, A. G. 1839. An extract from a letter addressed to Dr. Andrew Smith, by A. G. Bain, Esq., dated Graham Town, Cape of Good Hope, February 21st 1839, announcing the discovery of the skull and piths of the horns of an ox. Communicated by Charles Darwin, Esq. Sec. G.S. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 4: 152. Text A2616

 Darwin, C. R. et al eds. 1838-1841. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London, vol. 2, no. 55 - vol. 3, no. 75. PDF

John van Wyhe

April 2025

RN1