John Nelson Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible
Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible advocated the Gap theory, which helped old-earth creationism grow among conservative evangelicals.
The position of Darby, Pember, and Scofield has been outlined. The gap theory allowed these theologians to imaginatively fill in a story between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, in order to harmonize the latest geological claims relating to deep time with the biblical account. Thus, the gap theory was developed in the 19th century in response to the claims of secular geology. The theological justification for the gap theory appears to have arisen from Thomas Chalmers, and Parker’s Essays and Review. This later work was written by liberal Christians who were engaged in biblical criticism, and in many ways opposed to belief in miracles and a literal reading of the text. Despite the accommodation of the biblical text by Darby and Scofield towards acceptance of an old Earth, their opposition to the evolution of mankind led many Brethren and other evangelicals to resist acceptance of evolution over subsequent decades. It is notable that a number of contemporary adherents to Intelligent Design and old-earth creation from the British Isles have some connection to the Brethren movement.