Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Harmer was a descendant of a long-established Norfolk family. Born in
Norwich on 24 April 1835 he died in Cringleford, near Norwich on 11 April 1923,
aged 87. Harmer was privately educated and in 1849 was awarded a ''School
Certificate'' for 'Progress in General Knowledge'.
At the age of 15 he joined the family business in Norwich (one of the oldest
clothing manufacturing firms in the country) and began work at the firm as a clerk
to his father, Thomas. At this time Harmer lived with his parents at 1 Newmarket
Terrace (since re-named Albert Terrace) off the Newmarket Road, Norwich. In due
course, he was appointed director of the firm.
In 1856 Harmer became a member of the Congregational Church in Princes
Street, Norwich. Four years later he married Mary (third daughter of Adam Lyon
of Downham, Cambridge) and they moved into a rented house at Grove Place,
Heigham in Norwich. They had five children, all born in Heigham, namely, John
Alexander (born 27 October 1860), Sidney Frederic (born 9 March 1862), Edith
Mary (born 5 October 1864), Thomas Bertrand (born 15 November 1867) and
William Douglas (born 25 August 1873).
The eldest son, John, joined the firm in 1879 and by assisting with the running
of the business gave his father more time to pursue his interests in geology and
public affairs. John who lived at Boyton House, Ipswich Road, Norwich became a
co-partner of the firm in 1897; he died on 17 November 1925, aged 65 and, like his
father, was buried at St Peter's Church, Cringleford.
The second son, Sidney, became a distinguished zoologist, President of the Lin-
naean Society (1927-1931) and was awarded the Linnaean Medal in 1934. He was
also Director of the Natural History Department, British Museum from 1919 until his
retirement in 1927. Sidney lived at The Old Manor House, Melbourn, near Royston in
Hertfordshire. He was invested as a Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.) and, in 1920, a
Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.). Sidney died on 22 October
1950, aged 88. Sidney's son, Russell Thomas Harmer, joined the firm in 1919,
became a partner in 1925 and was the 5th generation to be involved in the business.
Harmer's only daughter, Edith, did not marry and in 1923, freed of her duties at
Oakland House on the death of her father, moved to France where she lived for the
rest of her life in Paris. The third son, Thomas joined the firm in 1888 and, like his
brother John, became a co-partner in 1897. The youngest son, William, became a
consulting surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, specialising in dis-
eases of the throat and nose. He was a pioneer in the treatment of throat cancer by
radium at the Radium Institute, London. During the Second World War his son,
Squadron Leader Michael Harmer, was in charge of surgical wards at the R.A.F.
Hospital, Hoylake. William died in 1962, aged 89 (Fig.
2.1
).
