David Mushet, John Farey and William Smith: Geologising in the Forest of Dean

The celebrated Scottish ironmaster, David Mushet (1772–1847), not previously recognised for his geological expertise, produced a generalised vertical section of the geology in the Forest of Dean in 1809 which remained unrivalled for the next 130 years. In 1812 he created a horizontal cross-section across the Forest of Dean's coal basin which he used as a prospectus to help sell his Bixslade coal mine. Mushet worked with the two leading geologists of the time: William Smith, the ‘Father’ of English Geology and John Farey, Smith's ‘bulldog’. Mushet's geological expertise provides an example of how Smith's methods for identifying strata spread piecemeal through the community of practical men seeking iron and coal, and how, in places, the making and sharing of geological sections and maps became critical to this endeavour. Confusion over the ‘yellow lime’ demonstrates how easily the order of strata could be misinterpreted due to the lack of a standardised nomenclature and a limited knowledge of fossils.