Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas
Encyclopedia
Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas (7 May 1853 – 10 June 1936) was an English
-born Australia
n schoolmaster and scientist.
, the third son of the Rev. Samuel Lucas, a Wesleyan minister, and his wife Elizabeth, née Broadhead. His father had a passion for geology
and botany
, and Arthur developed an interest in natural science. Lucas' early childhood was spent in Cornwall
, and when he was around nine years of age a move was made to Stow on the Wold in Gloucestershire
. Here Lucas went to his first private school, but soon afterwards was sent to Kingswood School
in Bath, where he was given a solid education in Classics, Modern Languages, and Mathematics. Lucas went to Balliol College, Oxford
in 1870, with an exhibition, and associated with men of whom many became the most distinguished of their time. Pneumonia
before his final examination prevented him from having any chance of high honours, but he later won the Burdett-Coutts geological scholarship. Lucas then went to London to commence a medical course, and won the entrance science scholarship to the London hospital in the east end. When Lucas was halfway through his course his elder brother, Thomas Pennington Lucas
, was ordered to leave England due to contracting tuberculosis
and went to Australia.
, Cambridge
, and provided for his brother's three young children whose mother had died. Lucas had previously won the gold medal at an examination for botany held by the Apothecaries Society
, open to all medical students of the London schools. Lucas enjoyed his five years at The Leys school. He found the boys frank and high-spirited, fond of games and yet able to do good work in the class-rooms. Lucas played in the football team, until he broke his collar-bone, and founded a natural history society of which the whole school became members. A museum was established to which Lucas gave his father's fine collection of fossils, and also the family collection of plants, which contained 1200 out of the 1400 described species of British flowering plants and ferns. The museum grew in after years, and obtained a reputation at Cambridge when one of the boys made interesting finds in the pleistocene beds of the Cam valley. Work done by Lucas in the Isle of Wight
and the results were published in the Geological Magazine, this led to Lucas being elected a fellow of the Geological Society of London
.
, but the appointment was given to Arthur Way
. Later on he was appointed mathematical and science master at the same school, arrived in Melbourne
at the end of January 1883, and immediately began his work.
, Sydney
. During his six years at Newington the number of pupils increased by 50 per cent and the school had much academic success. Lucas was the president of the Old Newingtonians' Union
in 1897.
, was acting headmaster for part of the war years, and finally headmaster from 1920 to 1923. He was an admirable teacher, beloved by many generations of schoolboys, and exercising great moral influence on them.
, and in later years lectured on physiography at the University of Sydney
. He also took much interest in the various learned societies, and during his early days at Melbourne was president of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
(which was founded by his brother) and edited the Victorian Naturalist for some years. Lucas was a member of the council of the Royal Society of Victoria
, and subsequently of the Linnean Society of New South Wales
, of which he also became president (1907–1909). Lucas contributed many papers to their proceedings; a list of more than 60 will be found in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. LXII, pp. 250-2. He wrote with Arthur Dendy An Introduction to the Study of Botany which was published in 1892 (3rd ed. 1915), with W. H. D. Le Souef, The Animals of Australia (1909), and The Birds of Australia (1911). After retiring from school teaching at 70 years of age, Lucas became acting-professor of mathematics at the university of Tasmania
for over two years. He afterwards continued his scientific studies, giving particular attention to the algae on which he was the Australian authority. His handbook, Part 1 of The Seaweeds of South Australia was issued just after his death. Lucas developed pneumonia after collecting seaweed from rockpools at Warrnambool, Victoria
in May 1936, and during the journey to his home collapsed on the train at Albury, New South Wales
. He was taken to a private hospital and died on 10 June 1936. He married in August 1882 Charlotte Christmas who died in 1919. Lucas was survived by three daughters. His portrait by H. A. Hanke (1935)hangs in the Assembly Hall of the Sydney grammar school. His autobiography, A. H. S. Lucas, Scientist, His Own Story, was published in 1937.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n schoolmaster and scientist.
Early life
Lucas born was born in Stratford-on-Avon, WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, the third son of the Rev. Samuel Lucas, a Wesleyan minister, and his wife Elizabeth, née Broadhead. His father had a passion for geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, and Arthur developed an interest in natural science. Lucas' early childhood was spent in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, and when he was around nine years of age a move was made to Stow on the Wold in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. Here Lucas went to his first private school, but soon afterwards was sent to Kingswood School
Kingswood School
Kingswood School, referred to as 'Kingswood', is an independent day and boarding school located in Bath, Somerset, England. The school is coeducational and educates some 950 children aged 3 to 18. It is notable for being founded by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in 1748...
in Bath, where he was given a solid education in Classics, Modern Languages, and Mathematics. Lucas went to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
in 1870, with an exhibition, and associated with men of whom many became the most distinguished of their time. Pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
before his final examination prevented him from having any chance of high honours, but he later won the Burdett-Coutts geological scholarship. Lucas then went to London to commence a medical course, and won the entrance science scholarship to the London hospital in the east end. When Lucas was halfway through his course his elder brother, Thomas Pennington Lucas
Thomas Pennington Lucas
Thomas Pennington Lucas was a Scottish-born Australian medical practitioner, naturalist, author, philosopher and utopianist.- Early life :...
, was ordered to leave England due to contracting tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and went to Australia.
School Master
Arthur Lucas abandoned his course, became a master at The Leys SchoolThe Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, and provided for his brother's three young children whose mother had died. Lucas had previously won the gold medal at an examination for botany held by the Apothecaries Society
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Originally, apothecaries were members of the Grocers' Company and before this members of the Guild of Pepperers formed in London in 1180...
, open to all medical students of the London schools. Lucas enjoyed his five years at The Leys school. He found the boys frank and high-spirited, fond of games and yet able to do good work in the class-rooms. Lucas played in the football team, until he broke his collar-bone, and founded a natural history society of which the whole school became members. A museum was established to which Lucas gave his father's fine collection of fossils, and also the family collection of plants, which contained 1200 out of the 1400 described species of British flowering plants and ferns. The museum grew in after years, and obtained a reputation at Cambridge when one of the boys made interesting finds in the pleistocene beds of the Cam valley. Work done by Lucas in the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and the results were published in the Geological Magazine, this led to Lucas being elected a fellow of the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
.
Wesley College
Lucas applied in 1882 for the headmastership of Wesley College, MelbourneWesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
, but the appointment was given to Arthur Way
Arthur Way
Arthur Sanders Way , was a classical scholar, translator and headmaster of Wesley College, Melbourne, Australia....
. Later on he was appointed mathematical and science master at the same school, arrived in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
at the end of January 1883, and immediately began his work.
Newington College
At the end of 1892 Lucas was appointed headmaster of Newington CollegeNewington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. During his six years at Newington the number of pupils increased by 50 per cent and the school had much academic success. Lucas was the president of the Old Newingtonians' Union
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in 1897.
Sydney Grammar School
In 1899 Lucas became senior mathematical and science master at the Sydney Grammar schoolSydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, was acting headmaster for part of the war years, and finally headmaster from 1920 to 1923. He was an admirable teacher, beloved by many generations of schoolboys, and exercising great moral influence on them.
University and science career
Lucas did not confine his life to school work, and while at Wesley College also lectured on natural science to the colleges at the University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, and in later years lectured on physiography at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. He also took much interest in the various learned societies, and during his early days at Melbourne was president of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria is an Australian natural history and conservation organisation.It was founded in May 1880 by a group of nature enthusiasts that included Thomas Pennington Lucas. Charles French and Dudley Best. It is the oldest conservation group in Victoria...
(which was founded by his brother) and edited the Victorian Naturalist for some years. Lucas was a member of the council of the Royal Society of Victoria
Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria is the oldest learned society in the state of Victoria in Australia.The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1859 from a merger between The Philosophical Society of Victoria and The Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science , both founded...
, and subsequently of the Linnean Society of New South Wales
Linnean Society of New South Wales
The Linnean Society of New South Wales promotes the Cultivation and Study of the Science of Natural History in all its Branches and was founded in Sydney, New South Wales in 1874 and incorporated in 1884. It succeeded the Entomological Society of New South Wales, founded in 1862 and folded in...
, of which he also became president (1907–1909). Lucas contributed many papers to their proceedings; a list of more than 60 will be found in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. LXII, pp. 250-2. He wrote with Arthur Dendy An Introduction to the Study of Botany which was published in 1892 (3rd ed. 1915), with W. H. D. Le Souef, The Animals of Australia (1909), and The Birds of Australia (1911). After retiring from school teaching at 70 years of age, Lucas became acting-professor of mathematics at the university of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
for over two years. He afterwards continued his scientific studies, giving particular attention to the algae on which he was the Australian authority. His handbook, Part 1 of The Seaweeds of South Australia was issued just after his death. Lucas developed pneumonia after collecting seaweed from rockpools at Warrnambool, Victoria
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
in May 1936, and during the journey to his home collapsed on the train at Albury, New South Wales
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
. He was taken to a private hospital and died on 10 June 1936. He married in August 1882 Charlotte Christmas who died in 1919. Lucas was survived by three daughters. His portrait by H. A. Hanke (1935)hangs in the Assembly Hall of the Sydney grammar school. His autobiography, A. H. S. Lucas, Scientist, His Own Story, was published in 1937.