David Ure and the first illustrations of British fossil Ostracoda

Abstract. 1993 is the bicenntenary of the publication of David Ure’s classic work, The History of Rutherglen and East-Kilbride, published with a view to promote the study of antiquity and natural history, and with it the start of studies in Britain of fossil ostracods. To commemorate this occasion, the 2nd. European Ostracodologists Meeting was held in the University of Glasgow July 23–27th, 1993.

David Ure was born in 1750 the son of a weaver, a product of the Scottish enlightenment, who studied at Glagow Grammar School and then at the University of Glasgow. He was licensed to preach the gospel in 1783, and soon after was appointed Assistant Minister at East Kilbride, where he remained for seven years. During this time he collected material for his great work which was published after he had left East Kilbride for Newcastle.

David Ure’s book was financed by public subscription, and amongst the 700 subscribers can be found many Professors from the Scottish Universities as well as the eminent geologists James Hutton and John Playfair. This was the heroic age of geology, when careful observations were leading to an understanding of basic principles. David Ure is often regarded as the "Father of Scottish Palaeontology". His book contains the first illustrations of fossils from Scotland, and is fairly unique for the period because his specimens are still preserved in the collections of the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow and the City Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove, Glasgow. The macrofossils are beautifully drawn, . . .