J. Cecil (John Cecil) Hughes

John Cecil Hughes, usually published as J. Cecil Hughes, is best known for The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight, first published in 1922. The book presents the island's geology in a practical, accessible way, walking readers through its rock layers, fossils, and coastal formations rather than treating the subject as something remote or purely academic.

The title page identifies him as the Rev. J. Cecil Hughes, B.A., which suggests he was a clergyman as well as a science writer. In the book's preface, he emphasizes that the Isle of Wight is an ideal place to begin studying geology, a clue to the teaching spirit behind his work: he wrote for curious general readers and learners, not only for specialists.

Reliable biographical details about his wider life appear to be scarce in the sources I could confirm. What does come through clearly is his talent for making earth history understandable and local, helping readers see landscapes, fossils, and strata as part of one long story.