V is for Vaughan Cornish of Debenham Suffolk

Our members are participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge for 2018 with the theme People of My Place. Today's entry is from Suzie Morley.

Vaughan Cornish was born on 22nd December 1862 in Debenham, Suffolk, England and was baptized on 30th January 1863 in St. Mary Magdalene in Debenham. He was the son of the Rev. Charles John Cornish M. A. and Anne Charlotte Western. His birth was registered in the Mar 1863 quarter in the Bosmere registration district.

At the time of the 1871 Census, Vaughan was living at home, in the Vicarage in Debenham, with his parents and his two older brothers Charles John Cornish and James George Cornish.

By the time of the 1881 Census, Vaughan was a Scholar, boarding in East Wickham in Kent, before going on to study Chemistry at University of Manchester.

At the time of the 1891 Census, Vaughan was in Stretford in Lancashire, visiting in the household of William Welsh. A few months later on 17th August 1891, he and his future wife, Ellen Agnes Provis, were granted a Marriage Licence. Vaughan gave his place of residence at that time as the Parish of St. Thomas in Winchester, in the County of Southampton. His bride’s address was in the Parish of St. Matthew Bayswater, which is where they married on 19th August 1891. Ellen Agnes Provis was the daughter of Alfred Provis and Ellen Andrews, who lived in Kingston Lisle in Berkshire. Witnesses to the marriage were Rev. Charles John Cornish M. A. (his father), a further witness was Agnes Dorothy Andrews. At this time Vaughan was Director of Technical Science at Hampshire County Council. After his marriage Vaughan continued his work, travelling and researching. The Royal Geographical Society gave him the Gill Memorial Award in 1900 for his work on surface waves (water, sand and snow). Earthquake waves were being studied in Jamaica when the earthquake truck in 1907, and both Vaughan and Ellen were injured. His experiences were later published in the Geographical Journal in 1912.

Ellen died on 24th March 1911, aged 53, in the Continental Hotel in Bournemouth, and was buried in the Churchyard in Salcombe Regis in Devon. Vaughan was the executor of his wife’s estate on 20th April 1911 in London, where her effects were valued at £5306 7s. 8d.

A couple of years later, Vaughan married the widow of his second cousin, the explorer, Ernest Ayscoghe Floyer. His marriage to Mary Louisa Floyer (nee Watson) was registered in the Mar 1913 quarter in the St. George Hanover Square registration district. They married on 27th March 1913 in Holy Trinity, Kensington Gore, London.

Vaughan Cornish died on 1 May 1948 in Willersley Nursing Home, Park Road, Camberley, Surrey, England, at age 85. He was buried on 2 May 1948 in the Churchyard, Salcombe Regis, Devon, England.

Obituary - Death of Dr. Vaughan Cornish (from The Times, 3rd May 1948)

We regret to record the death of Dr. Vaughan Cornish, which occurred at Camberley on Saturday at the age of 85 years. Dr. Cornish was a member of a well-known local family whose association with the district began in 1792. He was a great traveller and geographer and was particularly proud of his connection with Salcombe Regis. When the Sidmouth Council purchased the greater part of the land on the eastern side of Salcombe valley to prevent the establishment of a holiday camp there, Dr. Cornish gave a good deal of his land on the western side of the valley to the National Trust in order that its natural beauty should be preserved for all time.

He was a great lover of natural beauty and in spite of his wanderings it was always to Salcombe Regis he returned for refreshment and he never tired of singing its praises. With his first wife he was in Jamaica at the time of the great earthquake there and has broadcast about his experiences at the time.

During recent years Dr. Cornish has published many books, chief among them being "The Scenery of Sidmouth" which is a classic in the description of the local land- and seascape. His most recent book "Kestell, Clapp and Cornish," was lately reviewed in these columns, and as a great deal of it is autobiographical we commend it to our readers at this time.

Dr. Vaughan Cornish was buried at Salcombe Regis yesterday afternoon.

A second obituary was also published.

Obituary - Death of Dr. Vaughan Cornish (from The Sidmouth Observer, 5th May 1948)

One of Britain's best-known geographers, Dr. Vaughan Cornish, D.Sc., F.R.G.S, of "Inglewood," Gordon-road, Camberley, died on Saturday at the age of 85, in a Camberley nursing home. Dr. Cornish, who is survived by his widow, was famous among geographers for his studies of land and water waves. In later years he gave much of his time to the appreciation and preservation of the natural beauties of Britain. He had lived in Camberley since 1913.

He was a student of geography in all its aspects, and he was an author of ability who illustrated his works with his own sketches and photographs.

Dr. Cornish was born at Debenham Vicarage, Suffolk and was educated at St. Paul's School and at Victoria University, Manchester. He graduated with honours in chemistry in 1888 and later took the degree of D.Sc. He became Director of Technical Education to the Hampshire County Council, but after his marriage he entered the field of geographical scientific research. In 1900 the Royal Geographical Society presented him with the Gill Memorial for his research work into all types of waves, both on land and sea, on snow and sand and natural materials.

A world tour by Mr. and Mrs. Cornish in 1903 was the occasion for a great deal of important scientific work, and was followed by visits to many parts of the world. They were injured at Kingston, Jamaica, in January, 1907, when an earthquake wrecked the city and killed many of its inhabitants. A few months later they returned to Kingston to study earthquake effects. During the first world war Dr. Cornish lectured to naval and military officers on strategic geography and subsequently published a number of books. He remained an active author until recently.

The funeral took place on Tuesday at Salcombe, Devon.