John Charles Melliss

John Charles Melliss (* 1835 St. Helena, † 1911) was a British scientist and engineer.

Life and work

John Charles Mellis was born on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, the son of an officer of the St Helena Artillery. After training as an engineer, he served as an officer with the pioneers of the " Royal Engineers " and was employed from 1860 to 1871 in the government of the island. He then went to London and founded in 1878 the company " J. C. Melliss and Company, "which to this day as " operates Melliss LLP " in civil engineering.

In 1875 he published the book St. Helena: A Physical, Historical and Topographical Description of the Iceland, including the Geology, Fauna, Flora and Meteorology, which is still regarded as one of the most comprehensive works on the natural history of the island.

Honors

The English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker named in his honor, an endemic to St. Helena plant genus " Mellissia ".

1975, a series of stamps to mark the centennial anniversary of his book was published.