George Thurland Prior. 1862-1936

Dr. G. T. Prior, who was elected a Fellow of the Society in 1912, died on 8 March, 1936, at the age of 73. He was distinguished for his work in mineral chemistry and petrography and on meteorites. This work was done during his long association with the British Museum, where for many years he was Keeper of Minerals. He was also a past-President of the Mineralogical Society. He was born on 16 December, 1862, at Oxford, where his father, George Thomas Prior, kept a small chemist’s shop, and in this environment the only son developed an inclination towards chemistry. He was educated at Christ Church Cathedral School and Magdalen College School, and in 1881 gained a scholarship (demyship) in natural science at Magdalen College. A second class in mathematical moderations was gained in 1883, and first classes in the honour school of natural science, in chemistry in 1885, and in physics in 1886. For a short time he also studied analytical chemistry under A. Classen at the Technical High School at Aachen in Germany. The Oxford degree of Doctor of Science was taken in 1905.