(Born: 1768; Died: Hampstead near London, England, 15 August 1843) English geologist.

Bakewell made extensive mineralogical and geological surveys in England and Ireland, after which he lectured and exhibited sections of rock formations and the beginnings of a geological map of Britain. From 1820 to '22, Bakewell traveled throughout France and Switzerland, extending his geological surveys. His published account of these travels, published in 1823, was a popular work with the public. He invented a safety furnace for preventing explosions in coal mines.

Biographical references: American Journal of Science: 1st Series, 45 (1843), 403-4. • Barr, Index to Biographical Fragments, 1973: 13. • BBA: I 58, 232-235. • Cleevely, World Palæontological Collections, 1983: 47. • DNB: 3, 23. • DSB: 1, 413 [by B. Hansen]. • Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition. • Geological Currents: 2 (1980), 509. • Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 19. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 91. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 2, 467. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 95.

Introduction to Mineralogy, 1819

1. English, 1819.
An | Introduction | to | Mineralogy: | comprising the | Natural History and Characters of Minerals; | and a Description of Rocks, | both simple and aggregated; | with | A New Tabular Arrangement of Earthy Minerals, | on a plan designed to facilitate the knowledge | of that class of substances. | To which is refixed: | A Series of Conversations | explaining the principles of the science, | and the Elements of Crystallography. | [double rule] | By Robert Bakewell, | Author of "An Introduction to Geology." | [double rule] | With Plates. | London: | Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, | Paternoster-Row. | 1819.

8°: A⁸ a² B-Z⁸ Aa-Tt⁸ Uu⁷; 345l.; [i]-xx, [1]-668, [2] p., 5 plates (folding; show crystal drawings). Page size: 208 x 130 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso "Printed by Strahan and Spotiswoode, Printers-Street, London."; [iii]-xvi, "Preface"-dated June 21, 1819.; [xvii]-xx, "Table of Contents."; [1]-642, Text.; [643], "Addenda, No. I."; [644]-654, "Addenda, No. II."; [655], "Addenda, No. III. Double Magnetism."; [656], Blank.; [5 folding plates].; [657]-668, "Index to the Names of Minerals, and to the terms employed in Mineralogy and Crystallography."; [2 pgs], "Explanation of the crystals presented in Plates III, IV, and V."

Scarce. In the preface, Bakewell gives an overview of the progress of mineralogy in Europe, emphasising the contributions of René Just Haüy and Abraham Gottlob Werner. He indicates this work should be used by students of mineralogy in England to help acquaint them with the science. The text is arranged into five books. Book I (pp. 1-198) covers preliminary observations and introductory theory in 10 chapters. Included is an overview of the classification system of Haüy that is used within the descriptive portion with some modification. Book II (pp. 199-465) reviews the essential characters of the earthy minerals, including on pages 202-219 a table of minerals arranged by specific gravity and on pages 220-231 a similar table arranged according to their hardness. An appendix to Book II takes up pages 466-498. Book III (pp. 499-616) concerns the metallic species. Book IV (pp. 617-634) describes the combustible minerals, and Book V (pp. 635-642) arranges the saline minerals. The five folding plates, numbered I-V are unsigned and mostly show crystal drawings.

Bibliographical references: BL [970.h.18.]. • BMC: 1, 90. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 73.

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