Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen F.R.S., F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., M.B.O.U. (6 July 1834 – 2 December 1923), was an English topographer, geologist and surveyor. He was born in Teignmouth as the son of Robert Alfred Cloyne Godwin-Austen.

Godwin-Austen went to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He entered the army in 1851, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and served for many years on the Trigonometrical Survey of India, retiring in 1877. He gave much attention to geology, but is more especially distinguished for his researches on the natural history of India and as the author of The Land and Freshwater Mollusca of India (1882-1887). He was also an ornithologist, writing Birds of Assam (1870-78) and describing a number of birds for the first time, some with Arthur Hay, 9th Marquess of Tweeddale.

The Karakoram peak K2 in the Himalayas was originally named Mount Godwin-Austen in his honour. The Godwin Austen Glacier was also named in his honour.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.