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Letter, 15 January 1879
Item
Robert Damon was born in 1814, in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
He was an English conchologist and geologist. He was at first a hosier and glover but with his son Robert Ferris Damon (1845-1929) he established a dealership in natural history specimens in Weymouth. The company supplied museums throughout North and South America, Australia, and Europe with much Dorset geological material from the late 1840s to 1914. In 1860, Damon wrote “Geology of Weymouth and the Isles of Portland; with Notes on the Natural History of the Coast and Neighbourhood” which includes a map of the district, geological sections, plates of fossils, and coast views. In 1857, he also wrote, “A Catalogue of the Shells of Great Britain and Ireland with Their Synonyms and Authorities” (1857). The species Amoria damonii Gray, and Paramelania damoni were named in his honour.
He married Jane Cosens (1813-1900). He died on May 4, 1889, in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
Letter from Robert Damon to John William Dawson, written from Weymouth.