Sir John Lubbock, 3rd Baronet facts for kids
Sir John William Lubbock, 3rd Baronet (born March 26, 1803 – died June 21, 1865) was an important English person who worked as a banker, a lawyer, a mathematician, and an astronomer. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which means he was a member of a very old and respected group of scientists.
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Early Life and Career
John William Lubbock was born in Westminster, England. His father, also named Sir John William Lubbock, owned a bank called Lubbock & Co. Young John went to two famous schools: Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He finished his studies in 1825. That same year, he joined his father's bank as a partner.
Joining Important Societies
Sir John was very smart and interested in many things. In 1828, he became a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, which is a group for people who study stars and space. A year later, in 1829, he joined the Royal Society. People said he was one of the best English mathematicians who used a special way of thinking about probability (the chance of something happening).
He also joined the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in 1829. This group helped share knowledge with more people. Sir John was also a leader at the Royal Society, serving as its Treasurer and Vice-President several times.
Studying the Tides
In the 1830s, Sir John Lubbock did important work studying the ocean's tides. He was one of the first people to create maps that showed lines connecting all the places where high tide happened at the exact same time. He even invented the name "cotidal lines" for these special lines. Because of his excellent work on tides, he received a special award called the Royal Medal in 1834.
Leading the University of London
Sir John Lubbock also helped start the University of London. He was its very first Vice-Chancellor from 1837 to 1842. This was a big job, like being the main leader of the university. Later, his oldest son, Sir John Lubbock, 4th Bt, also became Vice-Chancellor of the same university.
Sir John Lubbock eventually became the head of his family's bank, Lubbock & Co. He mostly retired in 1840 but helped with a big merger in 1860 that created a new bank called Robarts, Lubbock & Co.
High Elms Estate
Sir John Lubbock largely rebuilt his family home, called High Elms. This large estate was located near the village of Downe in Kent. It was on the other side of the village from the home of the famous scientist Charles Darwin.
When Charles Darwin and his wife Emma were looking for a house in 1842, Darwin told his sister about Down House. He mentioned that Sir John Lubbock owned a lot of land (about 3,000 acres) and was building a grand house nearby. Darwin thought Sir John might be a bit shy or proud.
However, the Lubbock and Darwin families became good friends. Sir John's son, John, often visited Down House and became a close friend of Charles Darwin. In 1846, Sir John Lubbock even rented some land near Down House to Darwin. Darwin used this land to plant trees and create a special path called the Sandwalk, which he walked every day.
Family Life
Sir John Lubbock married Harriet Hotham in 1833. They had a large family with eleven children.
Their oldest son, John, followed in his father's footsteps. He became a scientist and a banker. He was later given the title Baron Avebury.
Sir John's youngest child, Edgar, was a talented athlete. He won the FA Cup, a famous football competition, twice. He won with Wanderers in 1872 and with Old Etonians in 1879. Edgar also played cricket for Kent County Cricket Club.
Another son, Alfred, also played for Old Etonians in the 1875 FA Cup Final and was a Kent county cricketer. Their son Nevile was also a cricketer. Sir John Lubbock's grandson, Basil Lubbock, became a well-known author.
Images for kids
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1831 map of the tides around Great Britain showing cotidal lines
