His life
William Edmond Logan was born in Montréal to a Scottish migrant. The family returned to Scotland where Logan attended Edinburgh High School and the University of Edinburgh. He spent the next 15 years working for his uncle, Hart Logan, in London and south Wales. Swansea was a major industrial centre and Logan soon became interested in mapping the local coalfields. Logan's attention to detail fed the growing popular enthusiasm for geology. His work was recognized as setting new standards of accuracy and was incorporated into the British Survey. He also helped establish a local scientific association, the Royal Institution of South Wales. Logan devoted the remainder of his career to Canada. He founded the Geological Survey of Canada in 1842 and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1856. Logan died at Castell Maelgwyn, Llechryd in 1875 and is buried in Cilgerran churchyard in west Wales.