William Guise

Sir William Vernon Guise F.G.S., F.L.S. (1816-24th September 1887) merits a special mention as his collection of fossils was the first major geological collection to be offered to the proposed new public County Museum in Gloucester. The fossils still exists in the Gloucester City Museums reference collections. He was President of the Cotteswold Naturalists Field Club for twenty eight years from 1859 to 1887, by far the longest serving president. He had some artistic ability judging from the illustrations he contributed to the Rev. W.S.Symonds book "Record of the Rocks".

He was elected a member of the Geological Society of London in 1841. He purchased in 1843 some important fossils for his collection, including an ichthyosaur head, for his private museum at Rendcombe Park. Unfortunately, it cannot be traced today. He married in 1844, Margaret Anna Maria, daughter of the Rev.D.H. Lee-Warner, of Walsingham Abbey. In 1845 he offered his geology collection for a proposed public museum in Gloucester on certain conditions, including the proviso that the Corporation adopt the Act of Parliament "for encouraging the establishment of Museums in large towns". In the event, the first attempt to build a museum was by the Gloucester Literary and Scientific Association who tried to raise funds from the Gentlemen of the County for the building of the museum, but without immediate success. In the event, it was the newly formed Science and Art Society that erected the first museum buildings in 1872 funded by public subscription. Guise had a wide and extensive knowledge of geology, conchology, botany and archaeology and was an excellent person to lead a field trip, being able to cover so many subjects at one time.

Guise was a Magistrate and the Deputy-Lieutenant for Gloucestershire. He served as High Sheriff for the County in 1872 and a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal South Gloucestershire Militia. On the 18th May 1881, Sir William (he ascended to the baronetcy in 1865) promised to donate the remainder of his collection of "British Marine, Estuarine and Freshwater Shells" and also a selection of ammonites and other Inferior Oolite fossils from Bradford Abbas, to Gloucester Museum, the ammonites are still in the collection. He died on the 24th September 1887 at his home, Elmore Court, near Gloucester.

Updated and corrected 20.6.1999