Charlotte Murchison

Several times during her life, the couple travelled throughout continental Europe, visiting places such as France, the Alps, and Italy. She also created numerous sketches of geological features, such as cliffs and fossils, in England during their numerous excursions throughout the country, including the Yorkshire coast in 1826.

Charlotte built a significant collection of fossils during the Murchisons’ travels, as well as studying and drawing as a lifelong pursuit. Applying what she had been taught by the painter Paul Sandby, she created geological sketches of important features. With many of her sketches, she often did not focus on the geological features in detail, but instead created a more emotive illustration of the landscape.

Through her work, she also helped her husband to develop many of his publications. Many of her illustrations, such as "Valley of Gosau", were incorporated into works her husband published. Charlotte is also often credited with being a significant influence on her husband’s career. On one of the trips she took with her husband, she contracted malaria and suffered complications for the rest of her life, until succumbing to the disease at the age of 80.

Charlotte Murchison died on 9 February 1869 at Belgrave Square, London. She was buried at Brompton Cemetery in London.

Personal life

Charlotte was a daughter of General Francis Hugonin (1750–1836), whom she later described as highly intelligent, and his wife Charlotte Edgar (died 1838), who was a talented florist and botanist, according to her daughter. At the age of 27, she met Roderick Impey Murchison, a soldier, and they married later that year, on 29 August 1815.

In 1816, the young couple went on a tour of France, the Alps, and Italy, where Charlotte closely observed the various distinctive forms of plant life found among rock formations in the areas they visited. After spending the winter in Genoa, they travelled to Rome and stayed into the summer, where Charlotte fell ill and nearly died of a malarial fever. Although she recovered, the effects of the illness persisted throughout her life.

While in Rome, the Murchisons became lifelong friends with Mary Somerville (1780–1872), who would later write of them in her autobiography, describing Charlotte as "an amiable accomplished woman, [who] drew prettily and – what was rare at the time – she had studied science, especially geology, and it was chiefly owing to her example that her husband turned his mind to those pursuits in which he afterwards obtained such distinction."

Following their trip to Europe, the Murchisons moved to Barnard Castle, County Durham. During their time here, Charlotte continued her collecting and studying of minerals, although her husband had settled into a life apart from geology. After spending years at her pursuits, Charlotte – along with Sir Humphry Davy – convinced Roderick to continue his study of geology. In 1824, the couple moved to London in order for Roderick to attend lectures on the subject.

With her husband now focused on the study of geology, Charlotte became Roderick’s constant companion during his travels, studies, and fieldwork, working alongside him. On one such trip, specifically their voyage to the southern coast of England, Charlotte went fossil-hunting with Mary Anning (1799–1847) and the two became close friends from then on.

Throughout travels with her husband, Charlotte would purchase or hunt for fossils to add to her personal collection, oftentimes studying them independently as well. Charlotte's collection was so well-kept and educational that specimens of her collection were studied by and published in the works of James de Carle Sowerby (1788–1871) and, later, William Buckland (1784–1856). In recognition of Charlotte's contributions, Sowerby named an ammonite fossil, Ammonites murchisonae, sketched by her on one of her trips to Yorkshire, after her.

Despite all her self-study and time working in the field alongside her husband, Charlotte desired higher education. By 1831, Charles Lyell (1797–1875), a friend of the Murchisons with whom they had worked and travelled, was giving geological lectures at King's College, London. Despite his refusal to admit women to his lectures, Charlotte persisted in her attendance, leading to Lyell's opening of his lectures to both men and women. Charlotte would also attend the meetings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science when able, despite her continued health issues.

In 1838, when her mother died, Charlotte was left a substantial fortune, and the couple was able to move to a prestigious house in Belgravia, London. Their soirées became a popular meeting place for scientists and politicians, and it was noted that much of the success of these parties was due to Charlotte's attendance.

Eventually, after years of struggling with illness, she became too debilitated to travel with her husband, eventually dying of her chronic health issues.