William Wickham King

Who was William Wickham King?

William Wickham King, usually known as Wickham King was a distinguished amateur geologist, a Fellow of the Geological Society for 50 years.

He was the younger son of William Henry King and followed him as a solicitor in Stourbridge and magistrates clerk for the Stourbridge and Kingswinford Petty Sessional Divisions.

As a young man, he rowed with Bewdley rowing club, but came to grief one day when his penny-farthing bicycle broke under him. He also climbed in the Alps and Cuillins, where King's Chimney and King's Cave Gully are named after him. Wickham King was a prominent member of the London Alpine Club and the Scottish Mountaineering Club, joining the latter in 1891. He was a competent alpinist, with at least half of his ascents being made guideless.

His interest in geology began when he found a fossil on the Clent Hills. This led to his attending classes provided by Birmingham University. His first published paper was on the Clent Breccia in 1893. This was followed by others on aspects of the Black Country or South Staffordshire Coalfield. He also produced a plexographic map of the Thick Coal in it.