Thomazine Mary Lockyer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomazine Mary Lockyer (née Browne;[1] 1 July 1852 - 9 September 1943)[2][3] was a British astronomer, suffragist, and Unitarian.[1][4] She was elected a member of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1923.[2]
Thomazine Mary Browne Lady Lockyer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 July 1852 |
| Died | 9 September 1943 (aged 91) |
| Education | Queen's College, London, University College, London |
| Occupations | Astronomer, suffragist |
| Organization(s) | Royal Astronomical Society, National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies |
| Spouse(s) | Bernhard E. Brodhurst (married 1885–1900); Norman Lockyer (married 1903–1920) |
Life
Thomazine Mary Browne was born in Bridgwater, Somerset in 1852,[2] the daughter of Thomazine Leigh (née Carslake)[1] and Samuel Woolcott Browne.[5][6] Both parents were active in social reform, with mother founding the Leigh Browne Trust to promote scientific research without animal experimentation.[1] She studied natural philosophy and astronomy at Queens College, London, as well as undertaking courses in physics and applied mathematics at University College, London.[2]
Thomazine and her sister Annie Leigh Browne worked to improve housing conditions in London, including at Toynbee Hall.[2] In 1882, she and Annie were among the founders of College Hall, London, alongside others including Henry Morley and Anna Swanwick.[7][8]
Thomazine married Bernhard E. Brodhurst, F.R.C.S., a surgeon 31 years her senior, in 1885.[6][1] He died in 1900.[1]
On 23 May 1903, Thomazine married astronomer and scientist Norman Lockyer, sixteen years older than she was.[2][9] The pair knew each other from before her first marriage,[9] when she had visited the Solar Physics Observatory in South Kensington established by Lockyer.[2] The couple moved to Sidmouth, Devon, to where Lockyer moved his observatory.[2] Thomazine always took a close interest in the observatory, which she gifted to the nation in 1914.[10]
A lifelong suffragist, Thomazine was treasurer of the Women’s Local Government Society.[1] When the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) formed a branch in Sidmouth in 1909, she became secretary, holding the post until 1918.[2] Known particularly for her outreach work, Thomazine proposed a resolution that led to the branch's support for the creation of an Infants’ Welfare Club in Sidmouth.[1] In 1916, Thomazine she became honorary treasurer of the Sidmouth Maternity & Infant Welfare Centre.[1] Though she resigned as NUWSS branch secretary in 1918, she was subsequently elected President, overseeing the branch's transition into the Sidmouth Citizens’ Association.[1][11]
Norman Lockyer died in 1920, at the age of 84.[1] In 1923, Thomazine was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society.[1] She remained with the Observatory, and regularly hosted scientists and fellow astronomers at her home.[1]
Thomazine Mary Lockyer died on 9 September 1943, aged 91.[1] She was buried in Salcombe Regis, Devon.[3] Her Royal Astronomical Society obituary read:
To the last she led an active life, her mind was undimmed and she took a great interest in all the affairs of the day. She was possessed of a rare and outstanding charm and her many friends will always remember her with deep affection.[12]