The Record of the Sub-Wealden Exploration

The Weald of southeast England is likely one of the most geologically rich areas within the British Isles. Located between the chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs, it has yielded many important fossils, including ones for the Baryonyx and Iguanodon dinosaurs. As part of the Victorian craze for fossil hunting, philanthropist and amateur scientist Henry Willett (1823–1905) organized an expedition to bore beneath the Wealden Foundation and thus unlock what was beneath. His motto, “Fortune favors the bold” would see him 1,905 feet below the surface until machinery and funding wore out (quite literally). This slim volume was the first-ever attempt to collect all the information unearthed during the 1872–1876 exploration and one of only nine copies that still exist today. Within it are letters from Mr. Willett to various newspapers touting his accomplishments and difficulties, earnest pleas to funders for more resources, and fifteen quarterly reports minutely detailing the team’s work.  It is a fascinating look into one of the most extensive and well-documented explorations of the time.