Vincent Charles Illing facts for kids

Vincent Charles Illing (born September 24, 1890 – died May 16, 1969) was a British geologist. He worked at the Royal School of Mines in London. He was an expert in petroleum geology. This is the study of how and where oil and natural gas form in the Earth.

Vincent Illing's Early Life

Vincent Illing was born in Jalandhar, India. His parents were Annie Payton and Thomas Illing. His father was in the army. Vincent went to school in India first.

Moving Around as a Kid

Later, his family moved to Malta because of his father's army job. When his father retired, they moved to England. They lived in Nuneaton. At age thirteen, Vincent went to the King Edward VI Grammar School there.

Starting His Science Journey

Vincent was very smart and won a scholarship. This allowed him to go to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He first thought about joining the Indian Civil Service. But he became very interested in science. This happened after listening to lectures by a geologist named W.G. Fearnsides.

Discovering Ancient Life

While still a student, Vincent received a special scholarship. It was called the Harkness Scholarship. He used it to study ancient sea creatures. These were called trilobites. They lived millions of years ago during the Cambrian period. He found these fossils near his home in Hartshill.

Working at Imperial College

In 1913, Vincent became a demonstrator at Imperial College. He worked under Professor W. W. Watts. A demonstrator helps students learn practical skills. In 1915, he published his first important paper. It was about the "Paradoxian Fauna" found in the Stockingford Shales. This was another group of ancient creatures.

A Career in Oil Geology

Vincent Illing became a demonstrator in petroleum in 1914. This was a new and important field. From 1917, he started publishing his findings. These were about his surveys of British oil shales. Oil shale is a type of rock that contains oil.

Work in Other Countries

In 1919, Vincent married Frances Jean Leslie. Soon after, they went to Trinidad. There, Vincent worked for an oil company. He used special tools to take core samples from the ground. These are long cylinders of rock. He also studied tiny fossils called foraminifera. He looked at heavy minerals too. This helped him understand the geology of the area.

Vincent also worked in Venezuela starting in 1928. He traveled to other parts of the world as well. During World War II, his knowledge was very important. He helped make sure Britain had enough petroleum supplies. His son, Leslie V. Illing, also became a geologist.