Maxwell Henry Close facts for kids

Maxwell Henry Close (born 1822 – died 12 September 1903) was an Irish clergyman and a very important geologist. He also worked hard to save and promote the Irish language.

Early Life and Studies

Maxwell Henry Close was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1822. His father, Henry Samuel Close, was a well-known lawyer.

Maxwell went to school in Weymouth and later studied at Trinity College in Dublin. He finished his studies there in 1846. A couple of years later, he became a clergyman in the Church of Ireland.

He worked in different churches in England for several years. But when his father passed away in 1861, Maxwell returned to Dublin.

Discovering Ireland's Ice Age Past

Once back in Dublin, Maxwell Close spent most of his time on scientific research. He was especially interested in the glacial geology of Ireland. This means he studied how huge ice sheets, called glaciers, shaped the land during the Ice Age. He became a leading expert on this topic.

How Glaciers Shaped Ireland

In 1866, Maxwell Close wrote an important paper called The General Glaciation of Ireland. In this paper, he described in great detail how glaciers affected Ireland. He showed evidence that the land was once covered by massive sheets of ice. This ice moved across the country, carving out valleys and leaving behind rocks and soil.

He also studied strange gravels found near Dublin that contained seashells. He believed these gravels were left behind by floating ice when parts of the land were underwater.

Working with Other Scientists

In 1872, Maxwell Close worked with another geologist, George H. Kinahan. They published a paper together about the glaciation of an area called Iar-Connaught, which is in County Galway and County Mayo. They even included a large map showing the scratch marks left by glaciers on the rocks. These marks are called striae.

Supporting Irish Culture and Language

Besides geology, Maxwell Close was also very interested in astronomy, physics, and the ancient language and history of Ireland.

He was a founding member of the Gaelic Union, an organization that worked to promote the Irish language. He also helped start the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language. For many years, he was the treasurer for both of these groups. He also supported Conradh na Gaeilge, which is known as the Gaelic League, a very important organization for the Irish language.

In his will, he left £1,000 to help publish a large dictionary of the Irish language. This dictionary was based on old Irish manuscripts. The first part of this huge project came out in 1913, and the final part was published much later, in 1973.

Maxwell Henry Close passed away in Dublin on 12 September 1903.