Mineralogy at the Lapworth Museum
The Museum holds approximately 12,000 minerals across multiple historic collections, with many specimens displaying stunning colours, shapes, and crystal forms.
John Percy Collection
Doctor John Percy FRS (1817–1889)is considered the father of British metallurgy. He was metallurgist at the Royal School of Mines from 1851, and acquired specimens from geologists, dealers and many of his former students from all around the world. A feature of the collection is the meticulous notes, descriptions and details that Percy recorded for each specimen. These include localities, prices, descriptions, and details of chemical analysis carried out on the specimens.
This collection makes up the majority of the McLean Collection of minerals housed at the Museum, alongside the Colonel J. W. Rimington Collection.
Chalcotrichite with original label from Doctor John Percy.
Landscape marble.
Turgite and limonite with original note from Doctor John Percy.
J. W. Rimington Collection
Colonel J. W. Rimington (1832–1909) amassed a small but exceptional collection of minerals and other natural history specimens, much of which was sold at auction during 1891 and 1892. The Lapworth Museum has some fine examples from the 1891 clearance, including a catalogue of the sale and the prices paid for these specimens.
This collection makes up the remainder of the McLean Collection of minerals housed at the Museum, alongside the Doctor John Percy Collection.
Precious opal with original seller's label.
Crystallised green apophyllite with original label.
White chalcedony.
Robert Jasper More Collection
Robert Jasper More (1836–1903) lived near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and was a Member of Parliament for the constituencies of Shropshire South and later of Ludlow. He had a particular interest in mining, and collected minerals from the old lead mines of South Shropshire, which he then exhibited at the 1886 meeting of the British Association in Birmingham. Following this, these specimens were loaned and later donated to Mason College, the forerunner to the University of Birmingham. The collection is quite small, but the specimens are particularly large and fine examples.
Galena with calcite and milky quartz.
Calcite with sphalerite.
Calcite coated with milky quartz.
William Murdoch Collection
William Murdoch (1754–1839) was an associate of James Watt (1736–1819) and Matthew Boulton (1728–1809) at the Soho works in Birmingham, and was a brilliant engineer and inventor in his own right. He pioneered gas lighting and invented a steam driven carriage, yet this latter creation was discouraged by Watt and Boulton, so an invention which pre-dated Richard Trevithick’s (1771–1833) locomotive by 20 years went generally unnoticed. From 1779, Murdoch was involved with the installation of Watt and Boulton’s steam engines in the mines of Cornwall, a time in which he collected many Cornish minerals.
Purchased in 1945, the Museum houses the extensive collection of Murdoch, which comprises 1,200 mineral specimens, his desk and cabinet, and an inventory of his collection dated to 1826.
Cornish olivinite.
Botryoidal chalcedony.
Scottish agates.