Herbert E. Balch
| Herbert E. Balch | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Balch
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| Born |
4 November 1869 Wells, Somerset |
| Died | 27 May 1958 (aged 88) Wells, Somerset |
| Occupation | Archaeologist, Speleologist, Geologist, Naturalist |
Herbert Ernest Balch (4 November 1869 – 27 May 1958) MA FSA was an English archaeologist, naturalist, caver and geologist who explored the caves of the Mendip Hills and pioneered many of the techniques used by modern cavers. Born in Wells, he gained a scholarship to The Blue School before leaving school at the age of 14 to become a messenger for Wells Post Office.
Balch became interested in stratigraphy and cave archaeology after attending a talk by William Boyd Dawkins. Balch led much of the exploration through the caves near Wookey Hole village, discovering and mapping many caves. He also made discoveries of artefacts used by the people who lived in the caves during the Iron Age. Balch was a founder member of the Wells Natural History and Archaeology Society and through the society he founded the Wells Museum, largely including his own collection of artefacts.
Herbert Ernest Balch was born in Wells, Somerset on 4 November 1869. His parents were William Balch, a brushmaker, and Sarah Ellen Balch. At the age of seven he gained a scholarship to The Blue School in Wells. There he helped George Johnson, Dean of Wells, who had poor eyesight due to his age, by reading texts.
He left school at 14 and became telegraph messenger boy at Wells Post Office. He remained at the post office for his entire working life, working his way up to postmaster. Whilst working as a messenger, he spent a lot of time at the village of Wookey Hole. He began caving with other teenagers from the village in the mid-1880s. After attending a talk by William Boyd Dawkins, he took an interest in cave archeology and especially in stratigraphy. In the 1890s, Balch was introduced to the caves of the Mendip Hills by Thomas Willcox, manager of the Priddy lead mines. While caving with Willcox at Lamb Leer in 1897, one of Balch's ropes snapped. He saved himself by catching a guide rope, but the 60 feet (18 m) fall rendered him unconscious, suffering serious friction burns and back injuries.
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