Thomas Allan (mineralogist)
Thomas Allan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | September 12, 1833 (aged 56) Linden Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, England |
| Occupation | Mineralogist |
| Known for | Contributions to mineralogy; Allanite mineral named after him |
Thomas Allan of Lauriston FRS FRSE FSA FLS (17 July 1777 – 12 September 1833) was a distinguished British expert in mineralogy.
Life
Allan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the son of Robert Allan (1748–1818), a banker. He received his education at the High School of Edinburgh and initially embarked on a career in banking. However, he gained prominence primarily through his significant contributions to the field of mineral science.
From an early age, Allan exhibited a strong enthusiasm for minerals, eventually assembling an extensive collection. This assemblage was passed down to his son Robert Allan FRSE and later integrated into Robert Greg’s collection, which was ultimately acquired by the British Museum of Natural History during the mid-1800s.
In 1813, Allan played a key role in facilitating a mineralogy appointment within the Dublin Philosophical Society for the German mineralogist Karl Ludwig Giesecke. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1805, with endorsements from prominent figures such as Sir James Hall and John Playfair. Subsequently, in 1815, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Allan held the positions of curator (1812–1820) and treasurer (1821–1833) at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
His contributions to mineralogy were honored in 1810 when Thomas Thomson named a newly identified mineral from Greenland allanite in his recognition.
Later in life, Allan resided at 11 Royal Exchange in Edinburgh. He passed away on 12 September 1833 at Linden Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland. His final resting place is at St Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh. His son Robert upheld his father's mineralogical pursuits.
Works
Allan authored the entry on "Diamond" for the fifth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica and produced the mineralogical reference titled An Alphabetical List of the Names of Minerals, at Present Most Familiar in the English, French, and German Languages, with Tables of Analyses (Edinburgh, 1805). This work saw subsequent expanded editions released in 1808, 1814, and 1819.