Guy Anstruther Knox Marshall
Encyclopedia
Sir Guy Anstruther Knox Marshall (20 December 1871 Amritsar
, Punjab
- 8 April 1959 London
), was an Indian-born British entomologist and authority on Curculionidae
.
He was the youngest of three children born to Colonel Charles Henry Tilson Marshall
(1841-1927), a district judge, and Laura Frances Pollock (1846-1912), daughter of Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
and Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Both Guy's father and his uncle, Major-General George Frederick Leycester Marshall
(1843-1934), were naturalists who had produced books on the birds and butterflies of India
, Burma, and Ceylon.
Marshall was sent from India to a school in Margate
where he started a butterfly collection. He transferred his attentions to beetles when he enrolled at Charterhouse
. When he failed the Indian Civil Service entrance examination, his father shipped him off to Natal
in South Africa
to learn sheep farming. He ended up in Rhodesia
, managing the Salisbury District and Estates Company and owning two farms, one managed by Swynnerton
.
Marshall corresponded with the prominent Darwinian, Edward Bagnall Poulton
, Hope Professor of Zoology
at Oxford University who had written The Colours of Animals (1890). Poulton urged Marshall to study insect colours in mimicry and camouflage. Throughout this research project Marshall put together a collection of plant specimens from southern Africa. His findings were published as a joint paper in Transactions of the Entomological Society of London in 1902.
Poulton later helped Marshall in obtaining an appointment at Sarawak Museum. Marshall, however, became ill during a stay-over in London. When some of his papers on weevils were published, he was offered an appointment as scientific secretary to the Entomological Research Committee (Tropical Africa). The Committee's function was to post field entomologists to East and West Africa who would study insects harmful to humans, crops and animals and send specimens to the Natural History Museum
in London for identification. Under Marshall’s management the Committee grew into a powerful and efficient body. Eventually all the agricultural information services were merged as the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux (CAB
). Marshall established the biological control service at Farnham House, giving rise to a global network of laboratories and creating two scientific publications: the Bulletin of Entomological Research and the Review of Applied Entomology.
Marshall's organisation took on the enormous task of writing up the ‘Insecta’ division of The Zoological Record
. In 1916 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford
for his contribution to economic entomology
. He was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London
Other honours were showered upon him - he was elected to the Royal Society
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the Royal Society of New Zealand
, the Indian Institute of Science
, the Royal Belgian Entomological Society
, and the Russian Entomological Society
. He was awarded l’Ordre de la Couronne from the Belgian Government, a CMG
in 1920, a knighthood in 1930, and with his retirement in 1942, the KCMG.
Marshall's identification work at the institute led to his extensive knowledge of insect taxonomy. His specialising in the Curculionidae
was by accident rather than design, as they were the only group left intact after a trip to England in 1896. In total he wrote up some 2300 new species in some 200 papers. After his retirement the Natural History Museum set aside office space for his taxonomic work, with which he continued until shortly before his death.
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
- 8 April 1959 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), was an Indian-born British entomologist and authority on Curculionidae
Curculionidae
Curculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils . It was formerly recognized in 1998 as the largest of any animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time...
.
He was the youngest of three children born to Colonel Charles Henry Tilson Marshall
Charles Henry Tilson Marshall
Charles Henry Tilson Marshall was a British Army Officer, serving in the Punjab, India. In his spare time he collected birds in the Punjab and the Himalayas, and sent these to Allan Octavian Hume. He was the brother of George Frederick Leycester Marshall, with whom he published ornithological...
(1841-1927), a district judge, and Laura Frances Pollock (1846-1912), daughter of Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet PC , was a British lawyer and Tory politician.-Background and education:...
and Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Both Guy's father and his uncle, Major-General George Frederick Leycester Marshall
George Frederick Leycester Marshall
George Frederick Leycester Marshall was a Colonel in the Indian Army and brother of C. H. T. Marshall and uncle of Guy Anstruther Knox Marshall. He was a naturalist interested in the birds and butterflies of India...
(1843-1934), were naturalists who had produced books on the birds and butterflies of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Burma, and Ceylon.
Marshall was sent from India to a school in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
where he started a butterfly collection. He transferred his attentions to beetles when he enrolled at Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. When he failed the Indian Civil Service entrance examination, his father shipped him off to Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to learn sheep farming. He ended up in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, managing the Salisbury District and Estates Company and owning two farms, one managed by Swynnerton
Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton
Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton CMG , was an English-born naturalist noted for his contributions to tsetse fly research....
.
Marshall corresponded with the prominent Darwinian, Edward Bagnall Poulton
Edward Bagnall Poulton
Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton, FRS was a British evolutionary biologist who was a lifelong advocate of natural selection...
, Hope Professor of Zoology
Hope Professor of Zoology
The Hope Professor of Zoology is a professorship at Oxford University. The first Hope Professor was John Obadiah Westwood. The current holder is Charles Godfray.* John Obadiah Westwood The Hope Professor of Zoology is a professorship at Oxford University. The first Hope Professor was John...
at Oxford University who had written The Colours of Animals (1890). Poulton urged Marshall to study insect colours in mimicry and camouflage. Throughout this research project Marshall put together a collection of plant specimens from southern Africa. His findings were published as a joint paper in Transactions of the Entomological Society of London in 1902.
Poulton later helped Marshall in obtaining an appointment at Sarawak Museum. Marshall, however, became ill during a stay-over in London. When some of his papers on weevils were published, he was offered an appointment as scientific secretary to the Entomological Research Committee (Tropical Africa). The Committee's function was to post field entomologists to East and West Africa who would study insects harmful to humans, crops and animals and send specimens to the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London for identification. Under Marshall’s management the Committee grew into a powerful and efficient body. Eventually all the agricultural information services were merged as the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux (CAB
CAB International
CAB International is a not-for-profit inter-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom....
). Marshall established the biological control service at Farnham House, giving rise to a global network of laboratories and creating two scientific publications: the Bulletin of Entomological Research and the Review of Applied Entomology.
Marshall's organisation took on the enormous task of writing up the ‘Insecta’ division of The Zoological Record
The Zoological Record
The Zoological Record is a print and electronic index of zoological literature that also serves as the unofficial register of scientific names in zoology....
. In 1916 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
for his contribution to economic entomology
Economic entomology
Economic entomology is a field of entomology, which involves the study of insects that are of benefit or those that cause harm to humans, domestic animals, and crops. Insects that cause losses are termed as pests. Some species can cause indirect damage by spreading diseases and these are termed as...
. He was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London
Royal Entomological Society of London
The Royal Entomological Society of London is devoted to insect study. It has a major national and international role in disseminating information about insects and improving communication between entomologists....
Other honours were showered upon him - he was elected to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
, the Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
, the Royal Belgian Entomological Society
Royal Belgian Entomological Society
The Royal Belgian Entomological Society is a learned society based in Brussels, Belgium which is devoted to entomology, the study of insects. It was founded on 9 April 1855...
, and the Russian Entomological Society
Russian Entomological Society
The Russian Entomological Society is a Russian scientific society devoted to entomology.The Society was founded in 1859 in St. Petersburg by Karl Ernst von Baer , Johann Friedrich von Brandt who was then the director of the Zoological Museum of the Russian Academy of Science , Ya. A...
. He was awarded l’Ordre de la Couronne from the Belgian Government, a CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1920, a knighthood in 1930, and with his retirement in 1942, the KCMG.
Marshall's identification work at the institute led to his extensive knowledge of insect taxonomy. His specialising in the Curculionidae
Curculionidae
Curculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils . It was formerly recognized in 1998 as the largest of any animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time...
was by accident rather than design, as they were the only group left intact after a trip to England in 1896. In total he wrote up some 2300 new species in some 200 papers. After his retirement the Natural History Museum set aside office space for his taxonomic work, with which he continued until shortly before his death.
Publications
- The Otiorhynchine CurculionidaeCurculionidaeCurculionidae is the family of the "true" weevils . It was formerly recognized in 1998 as the largest of any animal family, with over 40,000 species described worldwide at that time...
of the Tribe Celeuthetini