Margaret Crosfield facts for kids

Margaret Chorley Crosfield (born September 7, 1859 – died October 13, 1952) was a British scientist. She was a paleontologist, who studies fossils, and a geologist, who studies Earth's rocks and history.

Her Life and Work

Margaret Crosfield was a very important woman in science. She was one of the first women to become a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. This was a big deal because, for a long time, women were not allowed to join such important scientific groups. A new law in 1919, called the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act, finally allowed women to join.

Margaret was very active in the Geologists' Association starting in 1892. She later joined its council, which is like a governing board. In 1894, she was also elected to the British Science Association. She worked with other famous women geologists like Gertrude Elles and Ethel Shakespear. Margaret and her friend Ethel Skeat studied rocks in Denbighshire, Wales. They used tiny fossils called graptolites to figure out the order of the rock layers.

Margaret was known for her amazing notebooks. She wrote down everything carefully and kept her rock and fossil samples perfectly organized. Some of her notes and samples are still kept at the British Geological Survey today. These notebooks show not only her scientific work but also what it was like to be a woman scientist working in the field a long time ago.

Early Life and Family

Margaret Crosfield grew up in Reigate, Surrey, England, and lived there her whole life. She never married and passed away when she was 93 years old.

Her father, Joseph Crosfield, was a rich tea merchant. This meant Margaret had enough money to follow her interests. She was very keen on education and helped on the Reigate Education Committee for many years. People who knew her said she was very accurate and hardworking. They also described her as kind and always ready to help others.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Margaret was a strong supporter of Women's suffrage. This was the movement to get women the right to vote. She often gave talks to local groups about social issues, as well as science. She was a leader in the Reigate and Redhill Women’s Suffrage Society. Her brothers also supported her and even donated money to the cause. Some of her field notes were even written on the back of suffragette paper!

Margaret and her brothers were also involved in the Holmesdale Natural History Club. This is one of the oldest nature societies in the country. Margaret was the secretary of this club for many years. Her family's tea company, Harrison & Crosfield (now called Elementis), gave her the financial freedom to do her own research without needing a job.

Education Journey

Margaret Crosfield went to the The Mount School, York, which was special because it was one of the first schools in the UK to help girls go to university. When she was 20, in 1878, Margaret went to Newnham College, Cambridge. There, she started studying geology as part of her course.

She had to take a break from her studies because she was ill. During this time, her father passed away in 1879. He left his children money, which helped Margaret greatly. This money allowed her to fund her own research and continue her studies at Cambridge. She didn't need to work for a living, so she could focus on what she loved.

Ten years later, she returned to Cambridge. She got special permission to study only geology. When she came back, she met two friends who would become her lifelong research partners: Ethel Skeat and Gertrude Elles. Margaret often helped them by identifying and checking fossil samples they collected during their field trips.

Professors at Cambridge and Birmingham encouraged Margaret and her colleagues to research the geology of early Earth periods. They wanted to understand the layers of rock, especially in Wales.

Geological Discoveries

Margaret Crosfield, Ethel Skeat, and Mary Johnston explored two areas in Wales. They published their findings in important scientific journals. One paper, "On the Geology of the Neighbourhood of Carmarthen," came out in 1896. Another, "The Silurian Rocks of the Clwydian Range," was published in 1925.

In her work around Carmarthen, Margaret studied an area of about four miles. She found a syncline, which is a fold in rock layers that dips downward. She also discovered new types of trilobites, which are ancient sea creatures.

From 1906 to 1909, and again in 1911, Margaret and Ethel Skeat surveyed a large area in the Clwydian Range. They focused on the Denbighshire Grits and Flags, using graptolite fossils to understand the rock sequence. Their observations were published in a scientific journal.

In 1914, she also studied Wenlock limestone and contributed to a book about the plants of Surrey.

Margaret was a highly respected member of the Geologists' Association. She served on its council and worked as a librarian. In the British Science Association, she strongly argued for women in science to be treated with respect.

In 1919, when the law changed, Margaret became one of the first six women to be accepted as Fellows of the Geological Society of London. She also played a role in the Paleontological Society for many years.

Margaret Crosfield's detailed notes and organized fossil collections were famous. Her notes not only recorded scientific data but also gave a glimpse into what it was like to live and work in the field. The fact that she wrote some notes on suffragette paper shows her strong involvement in the movement for women's rights. Because she had inherited money from her father, Margaret could fund her own research. She did not work for a university or college.

Contributions to Geology

Margaret Crosfield published three important research papers. Her first paper, with Ethel Skeat, was about the geology of Carmarthen in 1896. This paper was so clear that it became the basis for the geological map of that area made by the British Geological Survey. Her second paper, with Mary Johnston, was about the Wenlock limestone in Shropshire. Finally, she wrote another paper with Ethel Skeat in 1925 about the Silurian rocks of the Clwydian Range. This paper focused on how the rocks were structured and how they had been shaped by erosion.

Besides her publications, Margaret traveled widely and kept very detailed notes. These notes included field observations and records of where specimens were found. These records are still used today at the British Geological Survey in Keyworth and the Grosvenor Museum in Chester.

In 1906, professors from Cambridge and Mason Science College asked Margaret Crosfield and Ethel Skeat to research the Silurian and Ordovician rocks in North Wales. They wanted to solve a "Silurian problem," which was about understanding the order of these ancient rock layers.

Margaret surveyed a four-mile area around Carmarthen. While studying a syncline, she found new details about the rock layers and even discovered a new type of trilobite fossil.

Margaret Crosfield was one of the first women to be elected as a Fellow of the Geological Society. Her work helped open doors for many other women in geology. Her information and findings are still preserved and used by scientists today.