Dr Victor Ambrose Eyles FRSE FGS (1895–1978) was a British geologist and science historian. He was the founder of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History in 1936.

Joan Eyles Joan Mary Eyles (15 June 1907 – 14 June 1986, Biggs) was a British geologist and historian of science, who was an expert on the geologist William Smith. Eyles donated the Eyles Collection of papers on the history and practice of geology to th ...

, his wife, donated the Eyles Collection, their collection of papers on the history and practice of geology, to the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

Life

Eyles was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

on 10 October 1895 the son of Willam Henry Eyles (in 1928 Lord Mayor of Bristol). He attended

Fairfield School Fairfield School can refer to: *Fairfield Grammar School, a closed school in Bristol, England *Fairfield High School (Bristol), a state secondary school in Bristol, England *Fairfield School (Dunedin), a school in Dunedin, New Zealand {{disambigua ...

. He attended Bristol University but his studies were interrupted by the war. In the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served in the Gas Brigade within the Royal Engineers, and was wounded on active duty in France in 1916. Upon recovery he rejoined in a new regiment: the Royal Flying Corps where he served as an Observer in the Kite Balloon section until 1919. He returned to Bristol and graduated BSc in the summer of 1920. He then joined the Geological Survey of Britain as a professional Geologist. He moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

in 1935. In 1939 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Murray Macgregor, William Thomas Gordon,

Edward Battersby Bailey Sir Edward Battersby Bailey FRS FRSE MC CB LLD (1 July 1881 – 19 March 1965) was an English geologist. Life Bailey was born in Marden, Kent, the son of Dr James Battersby Bailey and Louise Florence Carr. He was educated at Kendal grammar ...

John Baird Simpson Dr John Baird Simpson FRSE FGS (January 14, 1894 – June 28, 1960), was a Scottish geologist. He was President of the Edinburgh Geological Society 1950-52 and was awarded the Lyell Medal by the Geological Society of London in 1954. Life Sim ...

, and David Haldane. He won the Sopciety’s Bruce-Preller Prize in 1961. In 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 was sent to

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

to assess

bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...

deposits in relation to military needs. In 1945 he became District Geologist. In 1947 he was a co-founder of the

British Society for the History of Science The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) was founded in 1947 by Francis Butler, Joan Eyles and Victor Eyles. Overview It is Britain's largest learned society devoted to the history of science, technology, and medicine. The society's ...

(BSHS). He retired in 1955 and moved to the Cotswolds firstly to Milton-under-Wychwood then in 1962 to Great Rissington. In 1955 he was awarded an honorary doctorate (DSc) by Bristol University. He died on 8 March 1978 following a short illness.

Publications

*''The Economic Geology of the Ayrshire Coalfields'' (1930) *''The Geology of Central Ayrshire'' (1949) *''System of the Earth 1785'' (1970) co-author with James Hutton and G W White

Family

In October 1931 he married fellow geologist Joan Mary Briggs (1907-1986). On her death she bequeathed a huge collection of books, papers, and maps relating to geology to the University of Bristol, thereafter called the Eyles Collection. Joan was an expert on William Smith a founding father of geology.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyles, Victor Ambrose 1895 births 1978 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Bristol 20th-century British geologists