author
1832–1917
A leading Welsh geologist of the Victorian era, he spent more than four decades shaping the study of earth sciences at Cambridge. His life joined fieldwork, teaching, and museum building into one long career.
by Thomas McKenny Hughes
Born in Aberystwyth on 17 December 1832, he was the son of Joshua Hughes, who later became bishop of St Asaph. Thomas McKenny Hughes studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and went on to work in roles that included the British Consulate in Rome and the Geological Survey before becoming Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge in 1873.
He held that professorship until his death in 1917, making him one of the central figures in Cambridge geology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is remembered not only as a geologist and teacher, but also for helping build up Cambridge's geological collections and the academic life around them.
Hughes married Mary Caroline Weston in 1882, and they had three sons. He died in Cambridge on 9 June 1917.