Occasional Magazine N.S. Vol.1 No.1 (January 1980)
A Note on William Saville Kent, at one time of Belsito, Milford-on-Sea by Rev. S. G. Hooper. Some biographical information is given on the distinguished zoologist, William Saville Kent (1845-1908), who lived for a time in Milford and is buried in the Churchyard. His posts at the Royal College of Surgeons, the British Museum and the Brighton Aquarium were a prelude to becoming Commissioner and Inspector of Fisheries for Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. He published some notable scientific books and was particularly concerned with pearl fishing. An extract is appended from Major George Cornwallis-West’s Edwardian Hey-Days describing how Saville Kent formed a syndicate to exploit a process of inducing oysters to produce perfect, saleable pearls. He required three years of experiments to bring this to a conclusion and encouraging specimens were periodically forthcoming. However, his death two years into the enterprise brought it to a halt and, as he had insisted on keeping his actual method secret, he took it to his grave.
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