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PORTLOCK, JOSEPH ELLISON (1794–1864)

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 122 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PORTLOCK, See also:JOSEPH ELLISON (1794–1864) , See also:British geologist and soldier, the only son of Nathaniel Portlock, See also:captain in the Royal See also:Navy, was See also:born at See also:Gosport on the 3oth of See also:September 1794. Educated at the Royal Military See also:Academy he entered the Royal See also:Engineers in 1813. In 1814 he took See also:part in the frontier operations in See also:Canada. In 1824 he was selected by See also:Colonel (afterwards See also:Major-See also:General) T. F. See also:Colby (1784–1852) to take part in See also:Ordnance Survey of See also:Ireland. He was engaged for several years in the trigonometrical See also:branch, and subsequently compiled See also:information on the See also:physical aspects, See also:geology and economic products of Ireland. In 1837 he formed at See also:Belfast a See also:geological and statistical See also:office, a museum for geological and zoological specimens, and a laboratory for the examination of soils. The See also:work was then carried on by Portlock asthe geological branch of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, and the See also:chief results were embodied in his See also:Report on the Geology of the See also:County of See also:Londonderry and of parts of See also:Tyrone and See also:Fermanagh (1843), an elaborate and well-illustrated See also:volume in which he was assisted by See also:Thomas See also:Oldham. After serving in See also:Corfu and at See also:Portsmouth he was, in 1849, appointed Commanding Royal Engineer at See also:Cork, and from 1851–1856 he was Inspector of Studies at the Royal Military Academy, See also:Woolwich. For a See also:short See also:time commanding officer at See also:Dover, when the See also:Council of Military See also:Education was formed in 1857 he was selected as a member. During these years of active service he contributed numerous geological papers to the scientific See also:societies of See also:Dublin and to the British Association.

He published in 1848 a useful See also:

treatise on geology in Weale's " Rudimentary See also:Series" (3rd. ed., 1853). He was See also:president of the geological See also:section of the British Association at Belfast (1852), and of the Geological Society of See also:London (1856–1858). He wrote a Memoir of the See also:late Major-General Colby, with a See also:Sketch of the Origin and Progress of the Trigonometrical Survey (reprinted in 1869 from Papers on Subjects connected with the Royal Engineers, vols. iii.–v.). He also contributed several articles on military subjects to the 8th edition of the See also:Encyclopaedia Britannica. He was elected a See also:Fellow of the Royal Society in 1837. He died in. Dublin on the 14th of See also:February '864.

End of Article: PORTLOCK, JOSEPH ELLISON (1794–1864)

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