Richard Hansford Worth

Richard Hansford Worth (5 November 1868 – 11 November 1950) of Plymouth, Devon was a civil engineer, geologist, archaeologist and writer on Dartmoor. He was the author of numerous papers published by the Devonshire Association some of which became the basis of the book Worth’s Dartmoor published posthumously.

Early life R. Hansford Worth was the son of Lydia Amelia Davies and the geologist, antiquarian and historian Richard Nicholls Worth. He was educated at Plymouth High School for Boys

Worth adopted many of the interests of his father including a passion for geology, archaeology and Dartmoor. He was a founding member of the Marine Biological Society, a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Mineralogical Society, and a fellow of the Geological Society of London. The following year he presented one of his first papers on archaeology on Dartmoor, The Moorland Plym, a paper detailing cists that had been discovered along the River Plym. In 1904 he became the President of the Plymouth Institution and he was made an Honorary Member in 1937. The co-option of Richard Nicholls Worth, R. Hansford Worth and Dr Gray led to the formation of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee of the Devonshire Association. Worth became the secretary In the obituary published by the Devonshire Association in 1951 it was estimated that during his time writing for them he had written on more than forty subjects.

R H Worth Award Another legacy executed at the wishes of Worth as expressed in his will is the annual R H Worth award established by the Geological Society in 1955. It was to confer recognition of achievements in outreach, public engagement and/or education carried out by an individual or an institution. This award is still made annually.