Whitehurst, John

John Whitehurst (1713-1788) was a clockmaker and a scientist who developed our knowledge of geology and helped to promote it as a major scientific discipline. In his 1778 book, An Inquiry into the Original State and Formation of the Earth, reprinted in 1978^[722]  Whitehurst was perhaps the first writer to suggest that Ireland may have been part of Atlantis^[p258].

Whitehurst was fascinated by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and maintained that it had been created by a volcano to the north, which is now submerged. This volcano he linked with Atlantis.

The 2nd edition of 1786 is now available to be read online^(a).