The man who drew the first geological map of an entire country spent twenty-eight years surveying it, sold his fossil collection to the British Museum to cover his debts, went to debtors' prison anyway, and walked home in 1819 to find bailiffs had taken his house - ScienceBlog.com

File this under "no good deed goes unpunished" ....

This is the story about the man who spent years of his life and drew the first geologic map Britain.  

His debts had amassed over his years away, and so he sold the fossils he collected to the British Museum.  Yet, that wasn't enough and he wound up going to debtors prison.

And then when he got out - with no money - he had to literally walk home, only to find that his house and all his possessions had been seized to cover his debts. 

He was left destitute. And his accomplishments in map making weren't recognized for many years.  

What a shame.  And I guess in a way "he didn't know the right people" who can literally get away with anything.

https://scienceblog.com/n-twenty-eight-years-of-surveying-then-ten-weeks-in-prison/