Joseph Prestwich became fascinated by science and particularly geology whilst studying at University College London as a youth. However as the son of a wine merchant he was destined to enter the family business which he did at the age of 18 years old. Prestwich didn’t give up his passion for geology, instead he would squeeze his research into any spare time he had. The sometimes long, hard days and the pressures of running the family business took a toll on his health and he suffered from stress related illnesses for much of his life. It was only when he retired from the wine business in 1872 that he could at last dedicate himself full-time to science, including (at the age of 62) becoming Professor of Geology at Oxford University.
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| Watercolours of flints from Abbeville [c.1859]. These hand-worked tools would help prove the Antiquity of Man. (LDGSL/800a) |
Despite this part-time existence, Prestwich’s geological work was highly influential. For instance his work on the Lower Tertiary strata, for which he was awarded the Society’s Wollaston Medal in 1849, laid the foundation for all subsequent research on British Tertiary succession. Prestwich, alongside his close friend John Evans (1823-1908), would also provide proof of the antiquity of man which until then was still entangled in the biblical timeline. In the 1850s-1870s he would also concern himself with the water supply in London, working with Joseph Bazalgette on the newly installed sewer system of the Metropolis.
Prestwich was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society on 15 May 1833, and served as President between 1870-1872. He was knighted in 1896.
Read more about Prestwich's work on the Antiquity of Man and the water supply of London on our Collections Highlights pages.