John Kenneth Sinclair St Joseph, (13 November 1912 – 11 March 1994) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
archaeologist,
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althoug ...
and
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) veteran who pioneered the use of
aerial photography
Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography.
Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing airc ...
as a method of archaeological research in Britain and Ireland. He was Professor of Aerial Photographic Studies at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
from 1973 to 1980.
Early life
Kenneth St Joseph was born in Cookley, Worcestershire, on and attended school at Bromsgrove.
He studied geology at
Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...
and graduated in 1934. He was appointed as a lecturer in geology at Cambridge in 1937 after completing his post graduate degree. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
he served as an intelligence analyst with the RAF
[ looking at photographs of bombing operations to judge their effectiveness.
]
Aerial photography
As a school boy, St Joseph had been interested in Roman Britain and, in the 1930s, he was able to exploit a family connection to take part in an excavation at Hadrian's Wall where he met O G S Crawford. From this meeting, St Joseph developed an interest in aerial photography. St Joseph's subsequent war time experience convinced him that aerial photography had a potentially vital role in discovering and analyzing archaeological sites. In 1948, he was appointed curator (and subsequently, director) of aerial photography at Cambridge University. Initially, he was able to persuade the RAF to take photographs for him without charge.[ When the RAF became unwilling to continue this programme, the university authorities hired an aircraft. In 1965, they bought a ]Cessna Skymaster
The Cessna Skymaster is an American twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers ...
337 and employed a pilot, allowing for a systematic and extensive programme of aerial archaeology. This aircraft remained in use for forty years.
Numerous new and important sites were discovered as a result of these surveys including Mucking
Mucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish adjoining the Thames Estuary in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the town of Stanford-le-Hope in what is now Thurrock unitary authority. In 1931 the parish had ...
, which was photographed on 16 June 1959.[Clark, A. 1993. ''Excavations at Mucking, Volume 1: The Site Atlas'' (English Heritage Archaeological Report 20)] This discovery resulted in a major excavation lasting 13 years. His interest in Roman Britain continued, and the aerial survey work discovered more than 200 previously unknown Roman forts.[
Some of the results of these photographic surveys were published in a series of books, the first of which - ''Monastic sites from the air'' - included text annotating the photos from David Knowles, Professor of Medieval History, who had been an influential supporter of St Joseph's appointment. The collection is now housed in the Cambridge University Unit for
Landscape Modelling which is the new name for the Aerial Photography unit.
]
Academic career
St Joseph was appointed as a lecturer in Natural Sciences at Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College, Cambridge (formally Selwyn College in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1882 by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of George Augustus Selwyn (18 ...
, in 1939 and held this post until 1962. He was a tutor from 1945 and librarian from 1946. Between 1974 and 1980 he was Vice-Master. He was appointed curator in Aerial Photography by the university in 1948 and Director from 1962 to 1980.
From 1973 to 1980, St Joseph was Professor of Aerial Photographic Studies (a personal chair) at the University of Cambridge. In 1982 he was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
of the University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
. He was a member of the Council for British Archaeology
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK. It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and futu ...
for 50 years from 1944.
Personal life
In 1945, he married Daphne March and they had two sons and two daughters. He was appointed a CBE in 1979. He died at Histon, near Cambridge, on 11 March 1994.
Honours
St Joseph was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society
The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows.
Fe ...
(FGS) in 1937. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland.
The usua ...
(FSA Scot) in 1940 and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
(FSA) in 1944. In 1978, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences.
In the 1964 Queen's Birthday Honours, St Joseph was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to archaeology. In the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE) in recognition of his work as Professor of Aerial Photographic Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Books
His research was published in books and articles under the name J. K. S. St Joseph.
* Knowles, David & St. Joseph, J. K. S. (1952). ''Monastic sites from the air''. Cambridge University Press.
* Beresford M & St Joseph J K. (1958). ''Medieval England an Aerial Survey''
* Norman, E. R., & St Joseph, J. K. S. (1969). ''The early development of Irish society''. Cambridge University Press.
* St Joseph, J. K. S. (1977). ''Uses of air photography''. Prometheus Books.
* S.S.Frere & J.K.St.Joseph (1983) ''Roman Britain from the Air'' Cambridge University Press.
See also
* Yeavering
Yeavering () is a hamlet (place), hamlet in the north-east corner of the civil parish of Kirknewton, Northumberland, Kirknewton in the English county of Northumberland. It is located on the River Glen, Northumberland, River Glen at the northern ...
* Aerial survey
Aerial survey is a method of collecting geomatics or other imagery by using airplanes, helicopters, UAVs, balloons or other aerial methods. Typical types of data collected include aerial photography, Lidar, remote sensing (using various visible ...
References
* Robert Bewley, ''St Joseph, (John) Kenneth Sinclair (1912–1994)'', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, May 201
accessed 14 Nov 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:St Joseph, Kenneth
1912 births
1994 deaths
Fellows of Selwyn College, Cambridge
English archaeologists
Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Aerial photographers
People educated at Bromsgrove School
Fellows of the British Academy
Professors of the University of Cambridge
Fellows of the Geological Society of London
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London