16 Facts About Cyril Beeson

In 1922, Cyril Beeson married Marion Cossentine, daughter of Samuel Fitze.

In 1971, aged 82, Cyril Beeson married his second wife, Mrs Margaret Athalie Baldwin Carbury, formerly of Kenya, daughter of Cecil William Allen.

Cyril Beeson entered the University of Oxford in 1907 to read geology.

Cyril Beeson was a non-collegiate student until 1908, when he won an exhibition that enabled him to enter St John's College.

Cyril Beeson graduated in 1910 but then changed disciplines to forestry, in which he obtained a diploma.

Cyril Beeson was a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the First World War.

From 1911 until 1941 Cyril Beeson worked for the Imperial Forest Service as a research officer, forest conservator and forest entomologist.

Cyril Beeson was closely involved with the development of the Forest Research Institute at Dehradun.

Cyril Beeson served in the same position until his retirement in 1941, when he was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire.

Cyril Beeson returned to Oxford, where he became Director of the Imperial Forestry Bureau from 1945 to 1947.

Cyril Beeson turned his scholarly and scientific approach to antiquarian horology, and in 1953 became a founder member of the Antiquarian Horological Society.

Cyril Beeson became a published authority on the prominent clockmakers Joseph Knibb and John Knibb.

Cyril Beeson developed a special interest in turret clocks and made an influential study of the clock installed in 1669 at Wadham College, Oxford, which he proposed was made by Joseph Knibb.

Cyril Beeson joined the Banbury Historical Society soon after its foundation in 1958.

In 1966 Cyril Beeson greatly expanded this by presenting the Museum with his own historic collection, which included 42 longcase clocks, 24 other clocks and 13 watches.

Over a period of more than 30 years Cyril Beeson published more than 60 scientific articles on tropical forest insects.