Cheshire Memories: John Whitehurst of Congleton

By Sarah Griffiths on Dec 16, 09 09:29 AM in 1500-1799

One of Congleton's most famous sons was John Whitehurst, who gained fame for his skills as a clockmaker, engineer, scientist and geologist.

He was born in the town in April 1713 and was the son of a clockmaker. Because of the proximity of the Peak District, John took advantage of the opportunity to explore the countryside and gained a lifelong interest in geology.

John moved to Derby in 1736 to work as a clockmaker. His turret clock was incorporated into the new Guildhall in 1731 and he also produced a range of innovative clocks, barometers, compasses and timers for a variety of purposes. In 1745 he married Elizabeth Gretton and then moved to London in 1780 where he secured a position at the Royal Mint. He died in 1788 and his property and business passed to his nephew in Congleton.

Despite his engineering expertise, it was as a geologist that John Whitehurst became famous. He formulated theories on how the earth was formed and this, together with his extensive work on strata in Derbyshire, was published as An Inquiry into the Original State and Formation of the Earth in 1788. Benjamin Franklin was a regular visitor to his house in Derby and Whitehurst sent an early draft of his volume to Franklin in 1763. The strata studies proved to be invaluable for individuals prospecting for minerals in Derbyshire, such as the mine owner Anthony Tissington.

John Whitehurst was a founder member of the Lunar Society and rubbed shoulders with famous fellow enthusiasts, such as Matthew Boulton and Josiah Wedgwood. His work provided an important foundation for the science of geology and subsequent geologists, such as John Farey and White Watson, were able to build upon his pioneering work.