Thomas Henry Tizard

{{Short description|English naval officer and oceanographer (1839–1924)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

Thomas Henry Tizard {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|FRS}} (1839 – 17 February 1924) was an English oceanographer, hydrographic surveyor, and navigator.

He was born in Weymouth, Dorset and educated at the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, at that time noted for its advanced mathematical training. He entered the Royal Navy by competitive examination as master's assistant in 1854 and served in the Baltic during the Crimean War. In 1860 he was promoted second master and commenced surveying in the Rifleman Reed, during which time he commanded the tender Saracen for three years.{{cite book | first= Archibald |last=Day | date = 1967 | title = The Admiralty Hydrographic Service, 1795-1919 | pages=156–157 | publisher = H.M. Stationery Office | oclc = 1082894797 | url = https://archive.org/details/day-hydrographic-service_202111}} Tizard was largely responsible for an important series of observations on the surface and under-currents in the Straits of Gibraltar, which set at rest the vexed question of the movements of these waters.{{cite journal |title=Obituary: Captain Thomas Henry Tizard, C. B., F. R. S., R. N |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1924 |volume=63 |issue=5 |pages=460–462 |jstor=1781248|author1=A. M. F }}

An atoll in the South China Sea that Tizard surveyed in the 1860s from aboard HMS Rifleman was later named Tizard Bank after him.

Towards the end of 1872 Tizard transferred to {{HMS|Challenger|1858|6}}.{{cite book |last1=Aitken |first1=Frédéric |last2=Foulc |first2=Jean-Numa |title=From deep sea to laboratory. 1 : the first explorations of the deep sea by H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876) |date=2019 |publisher=ISTE-WILEY |location=London, UK |isbn=9781786303745 |url=http://www.iste.co.uk/book.php?id=1474 |chapter=Chapter 2}} The appointment opened to him the greatest opportunity of his life in bringing him into contact with the leaders of the science of oceanography. The Challenger expedition resulted in a vast increase of knowledge of the physical condition of the oceans and of the distribution of marine life, and in the progressive improvement of apparatus and methods of research. Tizard remained with the Challenger until she paid off in 1876, and spent the next three years at the Admiralty writing the narrative of the voyage in association with Sir John Murray.{{cite book |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |last2=Moseley |first2=H.N. |last3=Buchanan |first3=J.Y. |last4=Murray |first4=John |editor-last1=Thomson |editor-first1=C.Wyville

|editor-last2=Murray |editor-first2=John |title=Report on the scientific results of the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76 under the command of Captain George S. Nares and Captain Frank Tourle Thomson |chapter=Narrative of the Cruise of H.M.S Challenger with a general account of the scientific results of the expedition |date=1885 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office}} [https://archive.org/details/p1reportonscient01chaluoft First part]; [https://archive.org/details/reportonscienti121885grea Second part]{{cite book |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |editor-last1=Thomson |editor-first1=C.Wyville |editor-last2=Murray |editor-first2=John |title=Report on the scientific results of the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76 under the command of Captain George S. Nares and Captain Frank Tourle Thomson. Narrative Volume 2 |chapter=Memorandum on the meteorological observations made during the voyage |pages=300–744 |url=https://archive.org/details/challengerscient12chal_0 |date=1882 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office}}

In 1879 Tizard resumed surveying duties afloat, and took charge of the Home survey. He was at first in command of the hired vessel the Knight-Errant and then of {{HMS|Triton|1882}}, the first British ship to be built specifically for survey work.{{cite book |last1=Ritchie |first1=G.S. |title=The Admiralty Chart |date=1967 |publisher=Hollis & Carter |location=London |pages=341–342}} During the nine years that he held this command he wrote many papers of scientific value and interest. Among these may be mentioned a report on deep-sea exploration in the Faroe Channel;{{cite journal |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |last2=Murray |first2=John |title=Exploration of the Faroe Channel, during the Summer of 1880, in H.M.'s hired ship " Knight Errant." By Staff-Commander Tizard, RN., and John Murray; with Subsidiary Reports |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh |date=1882 |volume=11 |pages=638–719 |doi=10.1017/S0370164600047994 |url=https://archive.org/details/tizard-1882-proceedings-1118801882roya}}{{cite journal |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |last2=Evans |first2=Frederick John Owen |title=Remarks on the soundings and temperatures obtained in the Faeroe Channel during the Summer of 1882 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London |date=1883 |volume=35 |issue=224–226 |pages=202–226 |doi=10.1098/rspl.1883.0037 |url=https://archive.org/details/paper-doi-10_1098_rspl_1883_0037|doi-access= }} lectures on Marine Surveying and Hydrographic Surveying,{{cite journal |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |title=Lecture on marine surveying |journal=Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers |date=1887 |volume=11 |pages=57–73 |url=https://archive.org/details/tizard-1887-professionalpap-00engigoog}}{{cite journal |last1=Tizard |first1=T.H. |title=Hydrographic Surveying |journal=Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers |date=1891 |volume=16 |pages=123–144 |url=https://archive.org/details/tizard-1891-professional-papers-by-the-corps-of-royal-egineers-vol-16}} and an article on the 'Thames Estuary' (Nature, 1890)

{{cite journal

|last1=Tizard|first1=T. H.

|title=The Thames Estuary

|journal=Nature

|volume=41

|issue=1067

|year=1890

|pages=539–544

|issn=0028-0836

|doi=10.1038/041539a0|bibcode=1890Natur..41..539T

|doi-access=free

}}

which is of great permanent value. He was promoted to staff captain in 1889, and in 1891 was appointed assistant hydrographer of the navy, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1899 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette |supp=y |issue=27086 |page=3585 |date=3 June 1899 }}

In 1881 Tizard married Mary Elizabeth Churchward. They had five children, including one son, Sir Henry Tizard.Dictionary of National Biography

{{Gallery

| height = 220 | width = 220

|File:Pycnogonida HMS Triton Hoek 1883.png

|Pycnogonida (sea spiders) dredged by HMS Triton in the Faroe Channel in 1882{{cite journal |last=Hoek |first=Paulus Peronius Cato |title=The Pycnogonida dredged in the Faroe Channel during the Cruise of HMS "Triton" (in August 1882) |journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh |date=1883 |volume=32 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.1017/S0080456800026624 |s2cid=130348962 |url=https://archive.org/details/hoek-1883-transactionsofro-321887roy}}

|File:Admiralty Chart No 1543 England - east coast, Yarmouth and Lowestoft Roads surveyed by Staff Comr. T.H. Tizard, R.N. and the officers of H.M.S. "Triton" 1885 RMG L1221, Published 1886.tiff

|Nautical chart of Yarmouth and Lowestoft Roads surveyed by Tizard in HMS Triton in 1885

|File:Surveying Beacon Tizard 1891.png

|Surveying Beacon used on the sand flats of the Thames estuary. From Tizard (1891)

}}

References