Papers of John Phillips

A book of manuscript poems, composed by John Phillips from 1825 to 1863, lists of honours conferred on him, 1825-1860, lists of lecture engagements 1824-1860 and a manuscript entitled the incidents in the life of John Phillips, 1800-1860 .

John Phillips was born at Marden in Wiltshire on 25 December 1800. On the death of both his parents, his uncle, the geologist, William Smith (1769-1839), was responsible for bringing up the young John Phillips. Phillips worked alongside his uncle in London, until the spring of 1824. In 1825 he was appointed Keeper of the museum in York. Phillips held several academic posts. He was appointed Professor of Geology at King's College London 1834, Professor of Geology at Trinity College Dublin in 1844 and Reader in Geology at Oxford University in 1856. He wrote widely on different aspects of Geology. Phillips was Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum from 1857 to 1874. He received honorary degrees from Trinity College Dublin, Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Phillips died on 24 April 1874.

Access to the items in the collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the controlled environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History holds correspondence, journals, notebooks and papers, [1815-1874] (Ref: John Phillips Archive), miscellaneous correspondence relating to the founding of Oxford University Museum (Ref: History of Building/Boxes 1-7), strata sections, lecture notes and papers, [1818-1824] (Ref: William Smith Archive/Box 16/Folder 5; 18, 23, 41/Folder 2; 48/Folders 5-6), and letters from William Smith, 1819-1839 (Ref: Add 7342, 7656); the Oxford University Museum of the History of Science has miscellaneous notes and drawings, [1818-1822]; the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, contains correspondence relating to the British Association (Ref: Dep BAAS); Magdalen College Archives, Oxford University, holds travel journals, 1829-1830; the Natural History Museum, London, has autobiographical notes, 1866 (Ref: L MSS HUN); the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, contains a description of a tour of Scotland, 1826; the Yorkshire Museum, York, holds catalogues; Sedgwick Museum of Geology, Cambridge University, has a geological report on Lancaster, 1837; Edinburgh University Library contains correspondence (Ref: Gen 784); York City Archives Department holds letters to Thomas Allis, 1832-1864; the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, has letters to Sir Henry Thomas de la Beche; St Andrew's University Library contains letters to James David Forbes, 1831-1866; the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, holds letters to the Johnes family (Ref: Dolaucothi); the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Wellington, has letters to Gideon Algernon Mantell, 1831-1851; the Geological Society of London contains letters to Roderick Impey Murchison, 1st Bt, 1828-1871 (Ref: M/P 14); Imperial College, London, holds letters to Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay, 1842-1867 (Ref: B/Ramsay); the Institute of Electrical Engineers, London, has letters to Sir Francis Rounds, 1844-1850 (Ref: Sc Mss 1.3); Cambridge University Library contains letters to Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Bt, 1847-1873 (Ref: Add 7342, 7656); Trinity College Library, Cambridge University, holds correspondence with William Whewell, 1832-1859 (Ref: Whewell MSS).

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.