William Saville-Kent

Who was William Saville-Kent?

William Saville-Kent was an English marine biologist.

Born in Sidmouth, Saville-Kent's childhood was marred by several unfortunate events: the death of his mother, the murder of his half-brother, and the subsequent conviction of his sister, Constance. The detective responsible for the investigation of his half-brother's murder also suspected that William was an accomplice, but no charges were ever made. Constance was sentenced to life in prison but served only twenty years.

Saville-Kent was educated at King's College London and then at the Royal School of Mines under T. H. Huxley. He held various jobs in Britain, including at the British Museum from 1866 to 1872. In 1869, he became a member of the Zoological Society of London and in 1873 of the Linnean Society. In 1870, Saville-Kent received a grant from the Royal Society to conduct a dredging survey off Portugal. He worked at the Brighton Aquarium, then at the Manchester Aquarium. He went on to work for various other aquariums, before returning to Brighton in 1879.

Saville-Kent married in 1872 but his wife died three years later. He remarried in 1876.