Major James Rennell and the Rise of Modern English Geography

This 1895 account of James Rennell's life by Clements Markham concludes with an examination of his geographical legacy.

Clements R. Markham (Author)

9781108071833, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 April 2014

240 pages, 1 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.4 cm, 0.31 kg

In this 1895 survey of the life and works of James Rennell (1742–1830), the geographer and historian Clements R. Markham (1830–1916) describes him as 'the greatest geographer that Great Britain has yet produced'. The book was published in the 'Century Science Series', which narrated the lives and works of exemplars in each area of science, and Markham goes on to explain why Rennell should be the chosen representative of geography. 'He was an explorer both by sea and land, a map compiler, a physical geographer, a critical and comparative geographer, and a hydrographer.' Rennell is probably best remembered for the surveys of western Asia (also reissued in this series) in which he attempted to match modern to classical sites, but his professional career was spent as an army surveyor in India and Africa. Markham's account of Rennell's life concludes with an examination of his geographical legacy.

Preface
1. Chudleigh and the Navy
2. Naval service in the East Indies
3. Surveyor-general of Bengal
4. Review of geography
5. Geographical work for India
6. Geographical work for western Asia
7. Geographical work for Africa
8. Hydrography
9. Antiquarian research
10. The debt of posterity
11. Last years
Index.

Subject Areas: Historical geography [HBTP]