Professor Lawrence Hirst

Hirst is a discredited professor of Geology (He rejects the term 'palaeontology), and unfortunately for his progressive understanding of science, he's rather religious.

So much so, in fact, that he entirely denounces the idea of a prehistoric earth and the notion of extinction.
As more and more fossils are dug up throughout the 19th century, Prof Hirst is further convinced that all of these animals are Still Alive and Will Eat Him given the opportunity.

Not unkind in nature but quite paranoid, he runs the odd lecture of self-defence against these beastly animals, which people do, surprisingly, attend but more for entertainment than learning.

He worked previously with Nathaniel Hurtmore, and the two struck up a friendship which waxed and waned over the years as they branched off into different paths. Neither agrees with the other's theories or careers, but they still harbour respect for one another, mostly because they've known each other for so long.
Lawrence takes issue with Nathaniel's deception of the public for monetary gain. 

NOTE: He dresses slightly out of the fashion of his time as he prefers Georgian clothing to the newer styles of the mid-19th century.