# John Jeremiah Bigsby

_English physician and geologist (1792-1881)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/john-jeremiah-bigsby
Last updated: 2026-11-06

> John Jeremiah Bigsby, was an English physician who became known for his work on geology, an interest developed while on military service in Lower and Upper Canada, 1818–1826. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society. Before moving to London, he was Alderman and Mayor of Newark-upon-Trent, 1827–1830. In 1850, he published a lively book recounting his life and travels in British North America, The Shoe and Canoe. In 1868, he published his most important scientific work, Thesaurus Siluricus, being a list of all the fossils which occur in the Silurian formation across the world. He contributed about twenty seven papers to various scientific societies in London. He published Thesaurus Devonico-Carboniferus but died shortly before completing Thesaurus Permianus. In 1874, he was awarded the Murchison Medal. In 1876, he endowed the Bigsby Medal.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 August 1792 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Nottingham ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P19))
- **Died:** 10 February 1881 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P570))
- **Place of death:** London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Kingdom of Great Britain; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P27))
- **Occupation:** physician; geologist; paleontologist; botanist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P106))
- **Education:** University of Edinburgh ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P69))
- **Positions held:** mayor (1827–1830) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P39))
- **Awards:** Fellow of the Royal Society; Murchison Medal; Fellow of the Geological Society of London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441#P166))

## Questions

**When was John Jeremiah Bigsby born?**  
John Jeremiah Bigsby was born on 14 August 1792 in Nottingham.

**What positions has John Jeremiah Bigsby held?**  
Positions held by John Jeremiah Bigsby include: mayor (1827–1830).

**Where did John Jeremiah Bigsby study?**  
John Jeremiah Bigsby was educated at University of Edinburgh.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): John Jeremiah Bigsby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jeremiah_Bigsby) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q4086441](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4086441) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article John Jeremiah Bigsby, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

## Cite this page

"John Jeremiah Bigsby". DigiNepal. Last updated 6 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/john-jeremiah-bigsby. Retrieved 8 November 2026.