Simon Winchester takes you on a journey of discovery with the nineteenth century canal builder and fossil collector, William Smith, whose single handed labour led to the birth of the science of Geology.
Smith’s long journey, studying the stratification of England came at great personal cost. His work was plagerised and his contribution to science unrecognised when he needed it most, which resulted in Smith spending time in a debtor’s prison.
Events did turn around in his favour and in 1831 he was presented with the first Wollaston medal issued by the Geological Society of London, the very society that years before had barred his entry because of his low birth.
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