John Edward Marr facts for kids

John Edward Marr (born June 14, 1857 – died October 1, 1933) was an important British geologist. A geologist is a scientist who studies the Earth's solid features, like rocks and landforms.

Marr went to Lancaster Royal Grammar School and then studied at St John's College, Cambridge. He graduated with excellent grades in 1878. After college, he traveled to Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) to study a large collection of fossils. His work there was so good that he won the Sedgwick Prize in 1882. In 1886, Marr became a teacher of geology at the University of Cambridge. He taught there for 32 years. Later, in 1917, he became the Woodwardian Professor of Geology, a very important position.

Early Life and Education

John Edward Marr was born in Poulton-le-Sands, England, on June 14, 1857. His father, John Marr, was a retired silk merchant. When John was six years old, his family visited Caernarfon in Wales. There, he found a fossil, which sparked his interest in geology. This fossil was even named after him!

From 1867 to 1875, Marr attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He met R. H. Tiddeman there, who took him on many trips to study rocks and landforms. In 1875, Marr started studying geology at St John's College, Cambridge. He won a scholarship to help pay for his studies. At Cambridge, he learned from famous geologists like Thomas George Bonney and Thomas McKenny Hughes. He graduated with top honors in 1878.

Even as a student, Marr wrote several articles about his discoveries. One important discovery was finding very old fossils in Caernarfonshire, Wales. These fossils were from the Cambrian period, but it was hard to figure out their exact age. This puzzle became a big part of his later research. During his time at Cambridge, he was also a member of the Sedgwick Club, a group for geology students. In 1879, he became a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, a group for geologists. In 1881, he was chosen as a Fellow of St John's College.

Research and Discoveries

After graduating, Marr received money from Cambridge University to study old rocks in Bohemia and Scandinavia. He believed it was possible to organize the confusing timeline of ancient rocks, especially the palaeozoic ones.

In 1879, he visited the fossil collection of Joachim Barrande. Barrande had found newer fossils (from the Upper Silesian period) mixed in with older ones (from the Lower Silesian period). Barrande thought these different fossils had lived side by side. However, Marr proved that the younger fossils had actually "dropped" into the older rock because of cracks or breaks in the stone, called faults. Barrande himself wasn't convinced by Marr's idea. But Marr's work on sorting out the Silesian fossils won him the Sedgwick Prize in 1882.

Marr then returned to the Lake District in England. He worked with Henry Alleyne Nicholson to understand the order of the Stockdale Shales, which are layers of rock. He also worked with Alfred Harker on a similar project in Shap. In his studies of the Lake District, Marr developed the idea of lag faulting. This idea helped explain the shape of the land in the Lake District. He believed that much of the landscape was formed by glaciers moving across the land, carving out valleys and shaping the hills. His ideas about the geology of the Lake District were published in his 1916 book, The Geology of the Lake District.

Later Career and Awards

In 1886, John Edward Marr became a University Lecturer in Geology at the University of Cambridge. He held this teaching job for 32 years. In 1917, he took over from Thomas McKenny Hughes as the Woodwardian Professor of Geology. This was a very important role. He was a professor for 13 years before he retired in 1930 because of poor health. He passed away in Cambridge on October 1, 1933.

Marr was also very active in the Geological Society of London. He served as the Secretary from 1888 to 1898. He was also a Vice-President and President of the society from 1904 to 1906. He was part of the society's main council for 35 years and was the Foreign Secretary for three years. The Geological Society gave him two major awards: the Lyell Medal in 1900 and the Wollaston Medal in 1914.

In 1891, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. He was on the Royal Society's council from 1904 to 1906. In 1930, he received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society for his important scientific work. He was also made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1930.