Mary Horner Lyell

Mary Elizabeth Horner was born in London in 1808. She was the eldest of six daughters of Leonard Horner, a professor of geology and educational reformer who taught in England and Germany and was also President of The Geological Society of London in 1846 and 1860. Leonard Horner was eager for all his children to be well educated, and hired personal tutors for his children. Mary had a strong talent for learning different languages and was a polyglot. She could speak and write in French, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Swedish, which then became helpful for communicating with other geologists and literary figures. Benefiting from a quality education, all of Mary's sisters wrote their own original works or made translations for German/Italian articles. Mary's sister Katharine married Charles Lyell's younger brother, Henry. She died in 1873 while residing in London, just two years before the death of her husband. ==Career==

Mary and Charles Lyell were scientific partners; she accompanied him on field trips and assisted him by sketching geological drawings, packing their clothes, equipment and specimens, cataloguing their collections, learning Spanish and Swedish in addition to her spoken languages of French and German in order to assist with communications, She was a significant contributor to the famous book by her husband, "Principles of Geology". Horner Lyell collected and studied shells, specializing in mollusk shells. She was even so well liked by Americans that a tribute to her was published in the Boston Daily Advertiser which said: “There are many hearts in the United States that will be saddened by the death of this admirable woman… In every part of it [she] had made warm and lasting friends… Strength and sweetness were hers, both in no common measure…” == Historical Context ==

Although Horner Lyell had adequate knowledge in the field of geology, her work was not viewed with the same attention by other geologists of her time. In a letter written by Charles Lyell, he refers to the mathematician Mary Somerville, and states "had our friend Mrs. Somerville been married to La Place, or some mathematician, we should never have heard of her work. She would have merged it in her husband's and passed it off as his." Historian's believe that by saying this, he was possibly referring to his wife, Mary, merging her work with his and therefore losing credit. In 1833 Horner Lyell was a strong advocate for women's rights to attend lectures at King's College in London. Charles Lyell allowed this and found half of his lectures out of 250 attendees were attended by women. In 1870 she attended a meeting of the members and supporters of the National Society for Women's Suffrage which was addressed by Millicent Fawcett, and also attended by Fawcett's sister, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. Then in 1871, the Council for the Society of Arts set up a committee to promote the better education of women of all classes and Lyell sat on this committee. == Letters ==

Horner Lyell often read books, drew pictures, and wrote letters for her husband Charles due to his weak eyesight. She wrote dozens of letters to friends, families and colleagues, which detailed her and her husband's daily lives as well as their work. Her letters correspond greatly to their geological trip through Norway in 1837, which detailed them meeting with various geological professors and biologists, as well as the work they did during their travels. and in another letter he goes on to ask her for Swedish to English translations of texts he was attempting to study, extending Horner Lyell's translator abilities beyond her husband. She also corresponded in writing with American figures such as the educator, naturalist, and writer Elizabeth Agassiz about the glacial geology of South America, and with the physician, politician, and naturalist William Prescott. == Honours ==

A crater on the planet Venus was named Horner in her honor, see List of craters on Venus. ==References==