Name Index

To

Blackdown

Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1880, Vol. XII, pp. 420-446.

by

Rev. W. Downes, B.A., F.G.S.

Prepared by Michael Steer

This article was presented at the Association’s July 1880 Totnes meeting and provides a detailed examination of Blackdown geology. The Blackdown Hills are characterised by a series of pits or galleries running horizontally into the hills. The excavations having been made by men quarrying for whetstones, for which Blackdown remains famous. To this whetstone industry the author is mainly indebted for his knowledge of the abundant fossil fauna of Blackdown, preserved in chalcedony. The industry is unfortunately an unhealthy one. Few of those whose time has been largely given to it have lived to old age. The fine siliceous dust, like powdered glass, that flies from the chipping tool, produces, on being inhaled, an irritation of the lungs, so that fine men have frequently died of a species of consumption almost before they attained middle-age. The whetstone pits at the time the paper was presented were nearly exhausted, only two or three remaining open. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.