Keppel Harcourt Barnard
Encyclopedia
Keppel Harcourt Barnard (31 March 1887 London
– 22 September 1964 Cape Town
), was a South African zoologist and museum director. He was the only son of Harcourt George Barnard M.A. (Cantab.), a solicitor from Lambeth
, and Anne Elizabeth Porter of Royston
.
His first education was at a private school in Camberley
from where he went to the Realgymnasium in Mannheim
to improve his German. From 1905 to 1908 this unusually gifted and versatile scholar attended Christ's College, Cambridge
, taking the Natural Sciences Tripos
in Botany, Geology and Zoology. He also took the newly-introduced courses in Anthropology, Ethnology and Geography. For the following three years he studied law at the Middle Temple
, becoming a barrister in 1911. After a short spell as naturalist with the Marine Biological Laboratory
in Plymouth
, he joined the staff of the South African Museum in Cape Town
in 1911 as a marine biology assistant. He became assistant director in 1921 and director from 1946 until his 1956 retirement when he was free to work on the molluscs.
His D.Sc.
was from the University of Cape Town
with a dissertation on the "Distribution of Crustacea in South African Waters", and he eventually became a world authority on crustacean
s. His other favoured field was the taxonomy and classification of South African fishes, a discipline in which he did important pioneering work. Stellenbosch University
awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1956.
Barnard was a keen mountaineer and served as secretary of the Mountain Club of South Africa
from 1918 to 1945, and it was by way of the mountains that he met the amateur botanist Thomas Pearson Stokoe
who was to become a close friend and climbing companion. Barnard's mountaineering interest first brought him into contact with the genus Colophon
, and many species of the beetle, such as Colophon primosi
, were named after his mountaineering friends. In 1915 he married Alice Watkins, and they raised a family of two children, a son and a daughter.
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...
– 22 September 1964 Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
), was a South African zoologist and museum director. He was the only son of Harcourt George Barnard M.A. (Cantab.), a solicitor from Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, and Anne Elizabeth Porter of Royston
Royston
Royston is the name of several places:* Royston, South Yorkshire, England* Royston, British Columbia, Canada* Royston, Hertfordshire England** Royston Town F.C., an English football club* Royston, Glasgow, a district of Glasgow, Scotland...
.
His first education was at a private school in Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
from where he went to the Realgymnasium in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
to improve his German. From 1905 to 1908 this unusually gifted and versatile scholar attended Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, taking the Natural Sciences Tripos
Natural Sciences (Cambridge)
The Natural Sciences Tripos is one of the several courses which form the University of Cambridge system of undergraduate teaching...
in Botany, Geology and Zoology. He also took the newly-introduced courses in Anthropology, Ethnology and Geography. For the following three years he studied law at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, becoming a barrister in 1911. After a short spell as naturalist with the Marine Biological Laboratory
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory is an international center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology. Founded in 1888, the MBL is the oldest independent marine laboratory in the Americas, taking advantage of a coastal setting in the Cape Cod village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts...
in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, he joined the staff of the South African Museum in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1911 as a marine biology assistant. He became assistant director in 1921 and director from 1946 until his 1956 retirement when he was free to work on the molluscs.
His D.Sc.
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
was from the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
with a dissertation on the "Distribution of Crustacea in South African Waters", and he eventually became a world authority on crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. His other favoured field was the taxonomy and classification of South African fishes, a discipline in which he did important pioneering work. Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1956.
Barnard was a keen mountaineer and served as secretary of the Mountain Club of South Africa
Mountain Club of South Africa
The Mountain Club of South Africa is the largest and oldest mountaineering club in South Africa. It facilitates and engages in mountaineering, climbing of all types, bouldering, hiking, international expeditions, mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, and procurement...
from 1918 to 1945, and it was by way of the mountains that he met the amateur botanist Thomas Pearson Stokoe
Thomas Pearson Stokoe
Thomas Pearson Stokoe , born a Yorkshireman, became a South African botanist and mountaineer over the latter half of his life....
who was to become a close friend and climbing companion. Barnard's mountaineering interest first brought him into contact with the genus Colophon
Colophon
Colophon was a city in the region of Lydia in antiquity dating from about the turn of the first millennium-BC. It was likely one the oldest of the twelve Ionian League cities, between Lebedos and Ephesus and its ruins are in the eponymously named modern region of Ionia.The city's name comes from...
, and many species of the beetle, such as Colophon primosi
Colophon primosi
Colophon primosi is one of 17 described species of beetle in family Lucanidae, closely related to the Scarab family. It is endemic to South Africa....
, were named after his mountaineering friends. In 1915 he married Alice Watkins, and they raised a family of two children, a son and a daughter.