Henry De la Beche (1796–1855) was a geologist who published widely on various aspects of this science and was elected to the Royal Society in 1823. He was involved with the Ordnance Survey maps of Britain, and became president of the Geological Society in 1847. De la Beche was also instrumental in the 1851 opening of two influential institutions: the Museum of Practical Geology and the School of Mines and of Science Applied to the Arts, which were housed on the same site in London. His Geological Manual, first published in 1831, also had French, German and US editions. In this expanded third edition, published in 1833, the work offers a comprehensive survey of multiple aspects of geology. Topics covered include an overview of the Earth, rivers, glaciers, rock types and fossils in France and England, demonstrating the range and depth of geological knowledge in the early nineteenth century.
