Nevil Story Maskelyne
Encyclopedia
Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story Maskelyne (3 September 1823 – 20 May 1911) was an English
geologist
and politician
.
, Maskelyne taught mineralogy
and chemistry
at Oxford from 1851, before becoming a professor of mineralogy, 1856-95. He was Keeper of Minerals at the British Museum
from 1857 to 1880. He was made an honorary Fellow
of Wadham
in 1873.
Maskelyne was also a pioneer of photography and an associate of Fox Talbot.
The meteoritic
mineral
maskelynite
was named after him.
. The family adopted the name of Maskelyne on Nevil's coming of age as they had inherited that family's estate at Basset Down in Wiltshire
.
Nevil married Thereza Mary Llewelyn (1834 - 27 February 1926) on 29 June 1858.
Their daughter Mary married Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster
on 29 July 1885, and Hugh & Mary's granddaughter Vanda Morton published Nevil's biography in 1987 (see references). Their daughter Thereza married Arthur William Rucker
in 1892.
(MP) for Cricklade
as a Liberal
, 1880–1886, and as Liberal Unionist
, 1886 - 92. He was also a member of Wiltshire County Council
, 1889 - 1904.
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...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Scientific career
Educated at Wadham College, OxfordWadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, Maskelyne taught mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at Oxford from 1851, before becoming a professor of mineralogy, 1856-95. He was Keeper of Minerals at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
from 1857 to 1880. He was made an honorary Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Wadham
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
in 1873.
Maskelyne was also a pioneer of photography and an associate of Fox Talbot.
The meteoritic
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
maskelynite
Maskelynite
Maskelynite is a glassy phase found in some meteorites and meteorite impact craters. Typical samples are similar in composition to plagioclase feldspar, and revert to that mineral when melted and recrystallized. It was named after British geologist M.H.N...
was named after him.
Family
Nevil was the eldest son of Antony Mervin Reeve Story and Margaret Maskelyne, the daughter of the Astronomer Royal, Nevil MaskelyneNevil Maskelyne
The Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne FRS was the fifth English Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811.-Biography:...
. The family adopted the name of Maskelyne on Nevil's coming of age as they had inherited that family's estate at Basset Down in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Nevil married Thereza Mary Llewelyn (1834 - 27 February 1926) on 29 June 1858.
Their daughter Mary married Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster
Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster
Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster PC , known as H. O. Arnold-Forster, was a British politician and writer. He notably served as Secretary of State for War from 1903 to 1905.-Background and education:...
on 29 July 1885, and Hugh & Mary's granddaughter Vanda Morton published Nevil's biography in 1987 (see references). Their daughter Thereza married Arthur William Rucker
Arthur William Rucker
Sir Arthur William Rucker , KB, FRS was a British physicist. He gained his BA at Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1871, and was a Fellow there from 1871 to 1876...
in 1892.
Political career
He was Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Cricklade
Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)
Cricklade was a parliamentary constituency named after the town of Cricklade in Wiltshire.From 1295 until 1885, Cricklade was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously to the House of Commons of...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, 1880–1886, and as Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
, 1886 - 92. He was also a member of Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....
, 1889 - 1904.
Publications
- A guide to the collection of minerals (1862)
- Mineralogical notes (1863)
- Index to the collection of minerals: with references to the table cases in which the species to which they belong are exhibited at the British Museum (1866)
- Mineralogical notices (1871)
- Crystallography: Treatise on the Morphology of Crystals (1895) (Kessinger Publishing January 2008 ISBN 054882536X)