George William Featherstonhaugh FRS

George Featherstonhaugh (pronounced Fanshaw) was born in London in 1780, the only son of George and Dorothy nee Simpson. His father died suddenly on 2 May 1780, while on business in Norwich. After her husband’s death Dorothy went to live in Scarborough in North Yorkshire where George and his sister spent their childhood, and George was educated at local schools. Whilst there he developed an interest in geology.

In 1806 he travelled to North America with the help of an inheritance from his grandfather. He married Sarah Duane of Schenectady, New York in November 1808. He built a substantial house in Duanesburg, New York.

During this time he became involved in farming, organized the first New York Board of Agriculture, and recommended the building of steam railroads, obtaining the charter in 1826 for the construction of the first steam railway for passengers in the United States.

He returned to England in 1826 after the death of his wife and two daughters. On returning to America he married Charlotte Williams Carter, a niece of General Robert E Lee.

Although he had no formal training in geology, in 1834 he was appointed as the U.S Government’s first geologist and was sent to examine the country between the Missouri and the Red River for information on the mineral and metallic deposits of the area. His assistant was his eldest son George. In the following years he travelled extensively in the southern states, spending time with Cherokee Indians. He wrote a number of books, including ‘A Canoe Voyage up the Minnay Sotar’.

In 1838 he returned to England with his family. He was appointed by the British Government as a commissioner to settle the disputed boundary between the northern border of the United States and Canada under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. After the successful conclusion of the treaty, he was appointed British consul of Calvados and Seine in France. While consul he assisted in the escape of the King and Queen of France from Le Havre to England when Napoleon led a military coup against the King.

He continued to live in Le Havre where he died and was buried there in 1886. In April 1889 his body was exhumed and re-interred in Tunbridge Wells Borough cemetery in grave A10/61-62 B. Also in the grave are his second wife Charlotte, buried September 1879, children Henry buried April 1881 and Albany buried September 1902.