George Alexander Louis Lebour Papers

Mss.B.L491

Date: 1852-1914 | Size: 0.25 Linear feet

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Abstract

Geologist George Alexander Louis Lebour was a minor figure in nineteenth century England. Educated at the Royal School of Mines, Lebour served as Professor of Geology at Durham College of Science and then Vice-Principal of Armstrong College, formerly Durham College of Science and presently University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was most associated with his publication on the geology of Durham and Northumberland and he wrote more then 100 papers mainly on carboniferous geology, heat-conductivity of rocks, and the transfer of heat through the earth's crust. The Lebour Papers are comprised of 0.25 linear feet of correspondence relating to Lebour's interest in the analysis and sharing of geological specimens, geological surveying, and underground temperatures. There are a few letters with the Geological Society of London and with Richard Howse, the curator of the Natural History museum of Newcastle-upon-Tyne regarding the loaning of specimens.

Background note

George Alexander Louis Lebour was born in 1847 and educated at the Royal School of Mines. Little else is know of his early life. At the age of 20 Lebour began to serve on the Geological Survey of England. Using the knowledge he gained from that eight-year experience he accepted a position as lecturer of geological surveying at the University of Durham College of Science in Newcastle from 1973 to 1879, and succeeded Dr. David Page as Professor of Geology, a position he occupied until his death.

Lebour may have been most noted for his work on the geology of Northumberland and Durham. He wrote the "The Geology of Durham" published in the Handbook to the Geology and Natural History of Northumberland and Durham. Of his many other papers on the geology of Durham most notable are those dealing with the classification of the Salt-measures, the breccia-filled fissures in the Magnesian Limestons, and the Marl Slate and Yellow Sands. Throughout his professional career Lebour was most concerned with the transfer of heat through the earth's crust and the determination of the thermal conductivity of rocks. His findings publishing in a series of British Association reports from 1873 to 1881 were accepted as the standard of the time.

Scope and content

This relatively small collection contains incoming correspondence of Lebour and correspondence between other individuals including Walter Calverley Trevelyan, William Crawford Williamson, Hanns Bruno Geinitz and G. J. Symons. The correspondence primarily relates to the exchange and analysis of geological specimens. There are some correspondences of Richard Howse, then curator of the Natural History Museum of Newcastle-upon-Tyne regarding the exchange of fossil specimens. Also included are a few letters to the Geological Society requesting information or copies of publications.

Collection Information

Provenance

Accessioned, 1980 (accn. no. 1980-848ms).

Preferred citation

Cite as: George Alexander Louis Lebour Papers, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Recatalogued by Leigh McCuen, May 2003.

Bibliography

There is a obituary in Geological Magazine 5 (1918): 287-288.

Indexing Terms

Corporate Name(s)

Geological Society of London
Natural History Museum (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

Genre(s)

Specimens.

Personal Name(s)

Bonney, T. G. (Thomas George), 1833-1923
Cole, William Willoughby
Davidson, Thomas, 1817-1885
Dewalque, G. (Gustave), 1826-1905
Geikie, Archibald, 1835-1924
Geikie, James, 1839-1915
Geinitz, Hanns Bruno, 1814-1900
Gilbert, Grove Karl, 1843-1918
Howorth, Henry H., Sir (Henry Hoyle), 1842-1923
Howse, Richard
Lapparent, Albert Auguste Cochon de, 1839-1908
Lebour, George Alexander Louis, 1847-1918
Oliver, Daniel, 1830-1916
Ramsay, Wilhelm, 1865-1928
Renevier, Eugene, 1831-1906
Roemer, Ferdinand, 1818-1891
Symons, G. J. (George James), 1838-1900
Thornbill, John
Trevelyan, Walter Calverley, Sir, 1797-1879
Watson, Robert Spence, 1837-1911
Williamson, William Crawford , 1816-1895

Subject(s)

Geology

Detailed Inventory


George Alexander Louis Lebour Papers	1852-1914	0.25 lin. feet	Box 1	Request Series for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Series
Thornbill, John. ALS to Richard Howse	1852 October 8	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Bathwith, Robert. ALS to [?]	1860 July 31	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Charlton, Edward, 1814-1874. ALS to [Richard] Howse	1862 January 12	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Earl of Enniskillen. ALS to [Richard] Howse	1871 August 24	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Kirkby, James W.. ALS to [Richard] Howse	1872 July 25	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Oliver, D[aniel], 1830-1916. ALS to	1875 December 4	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Roemer, Ferdinand, 1818-1891. ALS to Richard Howse	1876 October 24	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Egerton, M. Grey. ALS to [?]	1876 December 8	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Trevelyan, Walter Calverley, Sir, 1797-1879. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour,	1877 December 23	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Nebey, E. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1879 April 16	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Brown, J.[M.]. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1881 March 22	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Williamson, William Crawford , 1816-1895. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1881 March 22	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Trevelyan, Walter Calverley, Sir, 1797-1879. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1881 July 8	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Hayes, L. McKenny. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1887 April 8	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Williamson, William Crawford , 1816-1895. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1887 June 5	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Tomlinson, William W.. ALS to [George Alexander Louis Lebour]	1890 October 14	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Symons, G. J. (George James), 1838-1900. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1891 October 19	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Geinitz, Hanns Bruno, 1814-1900. ANS to the Geological Society of London	1892 February 12	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Gilbert, Grove Karl, 1843-1918. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1893 April 27	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Berkeley, Randal Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Berkeley, 1865-1942. ANS to Geological Society of London	1893 July 5	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Bonney, T. G. (Thomas George), 1833-1923. ALS to [George Alexander Louis Lebour]	1894 June 12	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Renevier, Eugene, 1831-1906. ANS to Belinfante, L. L.	1897 April 22	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Lapparent, Albert Auguste Cochon de, 1839-1908. ANS to Belinfante, L. L.	1898 March 8	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Geinitz, Hanns Bruno, 1814-1900. ANS to Geological Society of London	1898 March 12	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Dewalque, G. (Gustave), 1826-1905. ANS to Geological Society of London	1898 July 4	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Howorth, Henry H., Sir (Henry Hoyle), 1842-1923. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1898 August 25	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Ellean, John. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1898 January 8	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Lapworth, Charles, 1842-1920. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1902 January 22	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Geikie, Archibald, 1835-1924. ANS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1903 July 11	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Watson, Robert Spence, 1837-1911. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1907 July 5	1p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Geikie, James, 1839-1915. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1912 September 26	3p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Ramsay, Wilhelm, 1865-1928. ALS to George Alexander Louis Lebour	1914 June 22	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Davidson, Thomas, 1817-1885. ALS to [George Alexander Louis Lebour]	n.d.	4p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item
Salter, John William, 1820-1869. ALS to [Richard] Howse	n.d.	2p.		Request Item for Reading Room Access Request a Copy of this Item