Pictured – handing over the journals at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science store at the AG Brighton building. After 19 years of giving a home to Thomas Ruddy’s fascinating journals, and having transcribed most of the journals fully, and taken notes on the final three to cope with fading eyesight, the journals have at last found a home where they can be properly housed, conserved and consulted by researchers. Their destination could not be more appropriate, and I’m most grateful to the Archivist of the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge for her interest and encouragement over the years.
Thomas never visited Cambridge, but his mentor and collaborator over many years was Thomas McKenny Hughes, who in 1873 succeeded Adam Sedgwick as Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_McKenny_Hughes McKenny Hughes’ expeditions with Ruddy over many years are documented in this blog (see Category) He was often accompanied by his wife Mary Caroline, herself a very competent geologist. Her presence enabled other female geologists and enthusiasts to take part in expeditions led by Ruddy, who seemed particularly welcoming and concerned for the women who showed interest in his passion for geology.
Following Sedgwick’s death, McKenny Hughes began to consider and plan for a new museum which would also be a working research institution to honour his mentor, Sedgwick. His plan finally came to fruition with the opening of the building in 1904. From Wikipedia:
The building of the present Sedgwick Museum on Downing Street was supervised by McKenny Hughes. McKenny Hughes was particularly skilled in the art of persuasion and had no trouble negotiating and cajoling the University to consider erecting a new museum, as a permanent memorial to Adam Sedgwick. He raised over £95,000 through public subscription towards the construction of the new Museum.
Recently a new facility has been opened at the Madingly Rise Site in Cambridge which works as the ‘back office’ of the Sedgwick, and it is here to the AG Brighton Building that I was able to take the remaining journals and a few other items of interest. Sandra, the Archivist gave a fascinating tour of the many and varied items stored there, including some relating to the Hughes’s.
One of the items I was able to deposit was a magnificent example of Ruddy’s geological draftsmanship. This now fragile document was probably created when Ruddy displayed some of his Bala Fossils to members of the International Geological Convention in 1888 (see related post).
Playing the ‘Degrees of Separation’ Game. Otherwise known as ‘Lloyd George Knew My Father’. I enjoyed musing on this. Adam Sedgwick – Thomas McK Hughes (1) -Thomas Ruddy (2) – Revd. Henry Ruddy (3) – Revd. Denys Ruddy (4) – Revd. Wendy Carey [me](5). Honoured, I’m sure!
Thomas Ruddy’s Journals can be consulted by application to the Archivist at the Museum by bona fide researchers, Catalogued as RDDY001.001 -RDDY001.008
Thomas Ruddy (1842-1912) 