Sir Richard Griffith, 1st Baronet

Sir Richard John Griffith ( born September 20, 1784 in Dublin, † September 22, 1878 ) was an Irish geologist, mining engineer and chairman of the Building Authority of Ireland. Under his leadership, the first geological map of the whole of Ireland was completed, and he was the author of the ground estimation of Ireland, which became known as Griffith 's Valuation.

Education and professional experience

Griffith was born in Hume Street, Dublin. In 1799 he entered the service of the Royal Irish Artillery, but withdrew after a year of military service back when the Corps was combined with that of England, and devoted himself to the civil engineering and mining. At William Nicholson two years he studied chemistry, mineralogy and mining in London. After finishing his studies, he first led the investigations mining areas in various parts of England, Wales and Scotland. During a stay in Cornwall, he discovered nickel and cobalt ores in material that has been discarded as worthless. After the ground work he completed his studies in Edinburgh Robert Jameson and other teachers. In 1807 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in 1808 he became a member of the newly formed Geological Society of London.

As an engineer and geologist in Ireland

In the same year he returned to Ireland. In 1809 he was asked by the Commission to examine the nature and extent of the bogs in Ireland, and to look for ways to develop them. In 1812 he was appointed Professor of Geology and Mining Engineering of the Royal Dublin Society, and later joined the succession of Richard Kirwan as State Mine Inspector. Shortly thereafter, he decided to compile a geological map of Ireland. In the next few years he conducted numerous explorations and published many reports on Erzbezirke in Ireland. This material formed the basis of the first geological map of the country, which was published in 1815. However, the main part of the card goes back to the work of Patrick Ganly, a fact that Griffith does not like to admit.

1822 Griffith engineer at the building department of the city of Cork, County Kerry and Limerick, and was until 1830 engaged in the repair of old roads and construction of new road up into inaccessible corners of the country.

Commissioner of Valuation

In 1825, he was eventually commissioned by the government to carry out a re-recording of the borders in Ireland. This work included not only the boundaries of the county, but also that of any other administrative unit as the possession of the Irish barons, rural towns, and districts, and served to prepare the first survey of Ireland by the Ordnance Survey. In addition, he worked on the preparation of a parliamentary decree, which should serve the general estimation of Ireland.

The decree was published in 1826, and Griffith in 1827 to the Commissioner of Valuation (, estimate a 'nominee' ) appointed. His work did not start until 1830, when the new six - inch cards ( six- inches -to-the - Mile, about scale 1:10.560 ) of the Ordnance Survey published, he had to use for the estimation according to the law as a basis. The estimate maps of Griffith 's Valuation contained the details of the various local and public land appreciation, with its creation until 1868 Griffith was so busy for almost 40 years.

The extensive investigations of the estimate provided him with rich material to improve its geological map, and the second edition was published in 1835, followed by a card with a smaller scale ( one- inch -to-the - Mile, scale 1:63.360 ). This third edition was in 1839 by the surveying authority (Board of Ordnance ) issued and placed once more in 1855. In 1850 he was appointed Chairman of the Irish planning authority. In recognition of his great work and other scientific achievements him the Geological Society in 1854 awarded the Wollaston Medal, and in 1858 he was made a baronet.

Final resting

He died on September 22, 1878 at the age of 95 years in his home, Fitzwilliam Place # 2 in Dublin. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of the Geological Society of London and the last survivor of the long defunct Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery. He was buried next to his wife Mary Jane on Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harold 's Cross, Dublin. His grave stone bears the inscription:

"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord"

" Not lazy in the obligation, ardent in spirit, a servant of the Lord"

Writings

• Outline of the Geology of Ireland. In 1838.
• Notice respecting the Fossils of the Mountain Limestone of Ireland, as Compared with Those of Great Britain, and thus with the Devonian system. In 1842.
• With Frederick McCoy: A Synopsis of the Characters of the Carboniferous Limestone Fossils of Ireland. 1844.
• With Frederick McCoy: A Synopsis of the Silurian Fossils of Ireland., 1846. ( Online)