Henry Charles Kingsmill (1843 - 1909)

Born 1843 in Letterkenny, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Helen Mary (Cruickshank) Kingsmill — married 3 Jan 1889 in Tasmania, Australia

Descendants

Died 16 Jul 1909 at about age 66 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

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Biography

This profile is part of the Kingsmill Name Study.

Adm. pens. (age 24) at CAIUS, Feb. 4, 1867. S. of the Rev. Henry, of Letterkenny, Ireland. B. there. School, at home. Matric. Lent, 1867; B.A. 1870; M.A. 1875. Held tutorial appointments in England; then in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Lecturer at Tasmania University. Government Meteorologist, Tasmania. Teacher in the Technical School, Hobart, 1897. Died July 17, 1909, at The Observatory, Hobart. (Venn, II. 378, and note; The Times, Aug. 25, 1909.). Memorial Inscription has 16 July 1909.

Newspaper death announcement:^[1] "KINGSMILL.- On July 16, 1909, at the Hobart Observatory, Barracks, Henry Charles Kingsmill, aged 66 years. "With Christ, which is far better." Friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral, which will arrive at Queenborough Cemetery This Day (Monday), at 10 a.m."

AN INTERESTING CAREER CLOSED.^[2] The death of Mr. Henry Charles Kingsmill, M.A.. Tasmanian Government meteorologist, whlch occurred at the Observatory on Friday night, closed an Interesting career, and robbed Tasmania of a gentleman whose work in the fields of learning and research had been of a solid and practical nature. Mr Kingsmill's demise has evoked many sincere expressions of regret. The deceased gentleman's constitution had not been particularly robust, and an attack of pneumonia had fatal results after running a comparatively short course. The late Mr. Kingsmill was the son of Rev. Henry Kingsmill and he was born in 1843 at Conwall Rectory, Letterkenny, Ireland. His father was a Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, and the parish was at that time in the gift of the University. Dr. Kingsmill was a keen observer of nature, and early taught his sons what was then known of the science of meteorology. Mr. Kingsmill entered Dublin University at the age of 17 and gained honors in both mathematics and classics, but his health breaking down his studies were interrupted for some time. On his recovery he went to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained a mathematical scholarship and obtained high places at some of the college examinations. He also gained prizes for walking and rowing, being champion sculler of his college. His health, however, prevented his reading continuously, and his tutors testified that his place as senior optime in the mathematical tripos was "not a fair criterion of his ability; that his mathematical attainments were of a high order; that his reading had embraced some of the most difficult subjects read at Cambridge; and in all he had read he had shown great powers of comprehension as well as of originality." Mr. Henderson, Fellow of Pembroke College, mentioned the "most valuable assistance Mr. Klngsmill had given him In some original mathematical work In which he was engaged". Mr. Kingsmill's health continuing unsatisfactory, he visited Australia in 1871, commencing colonial life in Queensland, and deriving so much benefit from the change of climate he remained there taking up educational work, and qualifying In the field for a practical surveyorship. For some time he was employed Examiner In Mathematics for the licenced surveyors' examination in Queensland, but be suffered repeatedly from malarial fever, contracted when camping out. He came to Tasmania in 1882, having been appointed as mathematical master of Christs's College. In 1883 he formed evening classes In connection with that establishment, which were a beginning In technical education. He took an enthusiastic part in preliminaries to the establishment of the University of Tasmania In conjunction with his friend, the late Rev. Dr. James Scott. After the establishment of the University he was for some time lecturer in mathematics at Launceston, and later lecturer in surveying at Hobart. He was appointed Government meteorologist at the death of Captain Short in 1892, and In that capacity represented Tasmania In the Meteorological Conferences of 1900, 1905 and 1907. He was strongly in favor of the Commonwealth taking over the meteorological departments, as he considered the Commonwealth likely to develop meteorological work on a larger scale, more especially In Tasmania. Being intimately acquainted with Sir Joseph Abbott, late Speaker of the New South Wales House of Assembly, he induced him, In conjunction with the late Hon. Nicholas Brown, to have a clause Inserted In the Commonwealth Constitution Act including astronomical and meteorological observations amongst the subjects to be dealt with by the Commonwealth.

Mr. Kingsmill married, in 1889 Helen Mary, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Cruikshank, R.E., Registrar of the University, and a great great granddaughter of Sir John Haves, English navigator to make detailed surveys of the Derwent and the south coast of Tasmania. He leaves a widow, two sons, and five daughters.

The funeral of the deceased gentleman will take place at the Queen- borough Cemetery at 10 a.m. today.

Sources

1. ↑ The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) Mon 19 Jul 1909 Page 1 Family Notices
2. ↑ Daily Post (Hobart, Tas. : 1908 - 1918) Monday 19 July 1909

• "Australia, Tasmania, Civil Registration, 1803-1933," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q279-4BY9 : 3 October 2018), Henry Charles Kingsmill and Helen Mary Cruickshank, 3 Jan 1889; citing Marriage 3 Jan 1889, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, line #90087, Archives Office of Tasmania, Hobart; FHL microfilm 7,368,176.