Thomas Henry Manning
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Thomas Henry Manning, OC (22 December 1911 – 8 November 1998) was a British-Canadian
Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
explorer,
biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
,
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
,
zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...
, and author. Appointed an Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
, Manning held the positions of vice-chairman and Executive Director of the
Arctic Institute of North America The Arctic Institute of North America is a multi-disciplinary research institute and educational organization located in the University of Calgary. It is mandated to study the North American and circumpolar Arctic in the areas of natural scien ...
. Nicknamed the ''Lone Wolf of the Arctic'', he was known for travelling alone with dog sled and canoe.


Early years

Manning, son of a well-to-do farmer and a well-known cricketer, was born 22 December 1911 in Dallington, Northampton, England. He was educated at Harrow School and
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' ...
. In the summer of 1931, he travelled in
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and the
Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
. The following year, he hiked from France to Norway, then hiked and rode reindeer through Sweden and Finland. After arriving in the former USS.R, he was arrested and imprisoned, before being deported.


Career

In 1933, Manning travelled to Hudson Bay's
Southampton Island Southampton Island (Inuktitut: ''Shugliaq'') is a large island at the entrance to Hudson Bay at Foxe Basin. One of the larger members of the Arctic Archipelago, Southampton Island is part of the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. The area of th ...
. Here, he surveyed and conducted geographical research for the Royal Geographical Society, and studied birds for the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. Three years later, he led the British-Canadian Arctic Expedition, serving as the expedition's surveyor and zoologist. In 1941, Manning was commissioned as a lieutenant with the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
. He worked as a cipher officer and developed arctic clothing. In 1942, he was seconded to the
US Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
to consult on the construction of an airfield on Southampton Island, and in 1944, he was seconded to the Geodetic Service of Canada for photo surveys. He retired from military service as a lieutenant commander in 1945. After the war, Manning worked for the Canadian Geodetic Survey,
Defence Research Board Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces ...
,
National Museum of Canada The national museums of Canada are the nine museums in Canada designated under the federal ''Museums Act'' and operated by the Government of Canada. The national museums are responsible for "preserving and promoting the heritage of Canada and all it ...
, and the
Canadian Wildlife Service The Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS (french: Service canadien de la faune), is a Branch of the Department of the Environment (Environment and Climate Change Canada), a department of the Government of Canada. November 1, 2012 marked the 65th ann ...
. He led several expeditions during this time. Manning was director of the Arctic Institute of North America in 1955–1956. He was mentor to and lifelong friend of the zoologist, Andrew Hall Macpherson. For several years, the wildlife artist Brenda Carter worked as Manning's research assistant.


Personal life

Manning met Ella Wallace Jackson (1906–2007), a nurse, only once, in 1935. Sent via Morse code, she received his proposal in April 1938. Three months later, "Jackie" arrived in
Cape Dorset Kinngait (Inuktitut meaning "high mountain" or "where the hills are"; Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ), formerly known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit hamlet located on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin ...
, and they were married. They honeymooned for a year and a half while mapping Baffin Island, and gathering bird specimens. They travelled in Manning's small boat, the ''Polecat'', stocked with flour, butter, jam, milk, tobacco, pemmican, 800 litres of fuel, seven dogs, four puppies, and a sled. Years later, Ella published two books with accounts of their travels, ''Igloo for the night'' (1946), and ''A summer on Hudson Bay'' (1949). They separated amicably in the late 1960s, but did not divorce. In his later years, Manning donated his collection of several thousand books to the Baffin Island
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
community in
Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the Frobisher Bay, large bay on the c ...
; the Thomas Manning collection is housed at its Centennial Library. Before his death, he donated $645,000 to the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University's Shackleton Memorial Library where the Thomas H. Manning Polar Archives are named in his honour. Manning died 8 November 1998 at a hospital in
Smiths Falls, Ontario Smiths Falls is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada, southwest of Ottawa. As of the 2021 census it has a population of 9,254. It is in the Census division for Lanark County, but is separated from the county. The Rideau Canal waterway passes ...
near his farm at Merrickville, Canada. Through his estate, a $25,000 bequest was made to the Merrickville Historical Society to assist in archives conservation.


Awards

* 1944, W. S. Bruce Medal,
Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...
and Royal Philosophical Society of Edinburgh * 1948, Patron's Medal,
Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada—its people a ...
* 1958, Guggenheim Fellowship, Organismic Biology and Ecology * 1974, Officer, Order of Canada * 1977, Massey Medal,
Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada—its people a ...
* 1979, Honorary
Doctorate of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
,
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
* 1992, Doris Huestis Speirs Award, Society of Canadian Ornithologists


Partial works

For full bibliography see: Carter, B. 2004. A Tribute to Thomas Henry Manning 1911–198. ''Canadian Field-Naturalist'' 118: 618–625. http://journals.sfu.ca/cfn/index.php/cfn/article/download/70/70 * (1939), ''Western Baffin Island'' * (1941), ''The Foxe Basin coasts of Baffin Island'' * (1942), ''Blue and lesser snow geese on Southampton and Baffin Islands'' * (1942), ''Notes on some fish of the Eastern Canadian Arctic'' * (1943), ''Notes on the mammals of south and central west Baffin Island'' * (1947), ''Ruins of Eskimo stone houses on the east side of Hudson Bay'' * (1950), ''Report on coastal waters of Hudson Bay in and around Broad River area of Manitoba'' * (1951), ''Eskimo stone houses in Foxe Basin'' * (1952), ''Birds of the west James Bay and southern Hudson Bay coasts.'' * (1956), ''The northern red-backed mouse, Clethrionomys rutilus (Pallas), in Canada.'' * (1956), ''The birds of Banks Island,'' * (1958), ''The mammals of Banks Island'' * (1960), ''The relationship of the Peary and barren ground caribou'' * (1961), ''Notes on Winter Harbour, Bridport Inlet, and Skene Bay'' * (1964), ''Age determination in the polar bear Ursus maritimus Phipps,'' * (1964), ''Geographical and sexual variation in the long-tailed jaeger Stercorarius Longicaudus vieillot'' * (1971), ''Geographical variation in the polar bear Ursus maritimus Phipps,'' * (1974), ''Variations in the skull of the bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben)'' * (1976), ''Birds and mammals of the Belcher, Sleeper, Ottawa and King George Islands, and Northwest Territories'' * (1981), ''Birds of the Twin Islands, James Bay, N.W.T., Canada''


References


External links


''Western Baffin Island'' Manuscript
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Thomas Henry 1911 births 1998 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of the University of Cambridge British emigrants to Canada Officers of the Order of Canada People from Northampton Royal Canadian Navy officers Canadian military personnel of World War II Massey Medal recipients People of the Scott Polar Research Institute 20th-century Canadian biologists