HISTORY OF ICHNOLOGY—Ichnological Eccentrics: The Curious Case of Dr. Joseph Barratt of Middletown, Connecticut

Abstract

Joseph Barratt was a British-born and educated physician who settled in the United States in 1819. He had a great interest in natural history, collecting both plants and insects and studying geology, mycology, ornithology, chemistry, meteorology, Native Americans, and local history. He was apparently a man of great energy and ambition but one who could not focus to see a project to completion. Barratt was active in the early history of the discovery of vertebrate footprints in the Newark Supergroup in the eastern United States but latter developed some very strange theories regarding the age and significance of these deposits. In his latter years, Barratt's mental state deteriorated and he became even more obsessed with trying to publicize his outlandish theories. Dr. Joseph Barratt is remembered in ichnology for basically two things; he sold Edward Hitchcock a superb specimen of vertebrate tracks; and he may have the most elaborate ichnological tombstone ever constructed.

Keywords:

• Dr. Joseph Barratt
• Vertebrate ichnology
• Ichnological tombstone
• History of ichnology
• Newark Supergroup

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This paper was made possible only by the assistance of some remarkable people. First and foremost is Cassandra Day, editor of the Middletown Patch, who provided pictures of the Barratt gravesite as well as providing insights on Dr. Barratt. Debbie Shapiro, Archivist Middlesex County Historical Society, provided access to the Barratt Papers and provided a copy of the Barratt painting. Kate Wellspring, Collections Curator, Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College, arranged to have the Barratt specimen (No. 9/14) photographed. Stephen Peteforsky photographed the Barratt specimen at the Beneski Museum. Anne Ostendarp. Archivist Wesleyan University Archives, provided insights on Dr. Barratt. Finally, Erik Hesselberg, feature writer for the Hartford Corant, provided materials related to Dr. Barratt. Without the help of these dedicated individuals, this work would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, The New York Botanical Garden, the Gray Herbarium Archives, Harvard University, National Galleries of Scotland, and the Middlesex County Historical Society for allowing me to publish photographs from their collections.

Funding

Funding for this project was from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Grant Number A0816.