Marble portrait bust of George Bellas Greenough, by Richard Westmacott, 1843. (GSL/POR/22) Photograph by Alistair Fyfe, 2009. Provenance: Commissioned by the Society in 1842.

One of the original founders of the Geological Society George Bellas Greenough, originally named George Bellas, was born in London in 1778. He was left an orphan by the age of 6, but inherited a large fortune from his maternal grandfather, a wealthy chemist who had made his money from the manufacturing of patent remedies such as ‘Greenough’s Liver Pills’.

He studied at Cambridge with ideas of going into law, but whilst at the University of Göttingen in 1798, Greenough became influenced by the natural history lectures of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (which he had attended initially to improve his German). By the time of his return to Britain in 1801 he had developed an interest in geology.

Greenough's 'Geological Map of England & Wales (1820) (LDGSL/979A)

Greenough’s contribution to the development of the science of geology was his supreme organisational skills, particularly the collation of cartographical information in the creation of his geological maps as evidenced by his ‘Geological Map of England & Wales’ (1820). Yet his interests were wider than geology, at one point he was a member of 37 different learned societies covering subjects as diverse as archaeology, botany and ethnology. Greenough was also involved in the founding of University College of London.

Greenough was the Society’s first President between 1807-1813, but served a further two terms between 1818-1820 and 1833-1835. The bust was commissioned by Fellows of the Society at a cost of £100, paid by subscription, to memorialise Greenough’s standing and influence on the science of geology for future generations.

Find out more about Greenough and his mapping of the British Isles