Nevil Story Maskelyne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Professor
Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story Maskelyne
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Portrait of Neville Story-Maskelyne taken by Henry Fox Talbot
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| Born | 3 September 1823 Basset Down House, Wroughton, Wiltshire, England
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| Died | 20 May 1911 (aged 87) Basset Down House, Wroughton, Wiltshire, England
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| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Known for | Meteorite classification |
| Spouse(s) | Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn |
| Awards | Wollaston Medal (1893) Fellow of Wadham |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mineralogy |
| Institutions | British Museum |
Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story Maskelyne (born September 3, 1823 – died May 20, 1911) was an English scientist and politician. He was known for his important work studying rocks and minerals, especially those from space.
Contents
A Scientist Who Studied Rocks and Space
Mervyn Story Maskelyne went to Wadham College, Oxford, a famous university. After he finished his studies, he started teaching there. From 1851, he taught about mineralogy, which is the study of minerals. He also taught chemistry, which is about how different substances are made and how they react.
Professor and Museum Expert
From 1856 to 1895, he became a professor of mineralogy at Oxford. This meant he was a top expert in the field. He also worked at the British Museum. From 1857 to 1880, he was the Keeper of Minerals. This important job meant he was in charge of all the mineral collections at the museum. In 1873, he was made an honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. This was a special honor from his old college.
Photography and Meteorites
Maskelyne was also very interested in photography. He was one of the early pioneers in this field. He worked with Henry Fox Talbot, who was a very important person in the early history of photography.
One of his biggest contributions was to the study of meteorites. These are rocks that fall to Earth from space. A special mineral found in meteorites was named after him. It is called maskelynite. This shows how important his work was in understanding space rocks.
His Family Life
Mervyn was the oldest son of Antony Mervin Reeve Story and Margaret Maskelyne. His mother's father was Nevil Maskelyne, who was a famous astronomer. An astronomer is a scientist who studies stars and planets.
Taking on a New Name
When Mervyn's grandfather, Nevil Maskelyne, came of age, his family inherited a large estate. This estate was called Basset Down and was in Wiltshire, England. Because of this, Mervyn's family decided to adopt the name Maskelyne.
Marriage and Children
On June 29, 1858, Mervyn married Thereza Mary Dillwyn-Llewelyn. She was also a very talented person. Thereza was a Welsh astronomer and a pioneer in scientific photography, just like Mervyn.
They had daughters who also did interesting things. Their daughter Mary married a writer and politician named Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster. Their granddaughter, Vanda Morton, later wrote a book about Nevil's life in 1987. Another daughter, Thereza Rucker, was a strong supporter of domestic science. This field helps people learn how to manage their homes and families well. She married a physicist named Arthur William Rucker in 1892.
A Career in Politics
Besides his scientific work, Mervyn Story Maskelyne was also involved in politics. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent a certain area in the country's government.
Representing Cricklade
He represented the area of Cricklade in Parliament. He was an MP from 1880 to 1892.
- From 1880 to 1886, he was part of the Liberal Party.
- From 1886 to 1892, he joined the Liberal Unionist Party.
He also served on the Wiltshire County Council from 1889 to 1904. This council helped manage local affairs in the county of Wiltshire.
See also
- Glossary of meteoritics
