Edward Charlesworth lived from 1813 to 1893 and participated in significant developments in the study of the natural sciences; being acquainted with and/or communicating with some of the leading natural scientists of the time. Charlesworth was a gifted and prolific geologist who published influential scientific papers and was made a fellow of the Geological Society while still in his twenties. He was a respected museum curator and expert in palaeontology enabling him to both act as a consultant to geological collectors and institutions and to make his living from the buying and selling of fossil collections. Many of his ventures were focused on East Anglia and he made significant contributions to museums in Norwich and Ipswich before settling in Saffron Walden towards the end of his life.

Dominic Davey:
Dominic grew up in Manchester and took a degree in geology at Swansea University. He spent his working life in the oil exploration business, initially as a seismologist and then as an IT professional. Since retiring, Dominic has rediscovered his enthusiasm for geology and is a member of a handful of local and national geological societies, including the Gibson Library Society and the History of Geology Group. The gifting of the Edward Charlesworth archive to the Gibson Library, by Professor Hugh Torrens, presented a unique opportunity to study the life of a Victorian geologist who lived in a time of significant scientific, and especially geological, developments.