Frederick Lukis

Frederick Corbin Lukis (24 February 1788 – 15 November 1871) was a British archaeologist, naturalist, collector, and antiquarian.

Background

Lukis was born in La Grange, Saint Peter Port, Guernsey. He was the youngest of the four children of Sarah (née Collings; 1749–1816) and Captain John Lukis (1753–1832). Already in his youth Lukis became interested in natural history, and probably attended Elizabeth College.

Career

He was strongly influenced by his elderly relative, the botanist Joshua Gosselin (1739–1813), who took him to his first excavation at a recently discovered artificial cavern. The experience triggered a lifelong passion for the protection of the island's heritage. He became a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London on 28 April 1853, but never published in the Society's journal, Archaeologia. Like his father, he served in the island's militia, becoming a colonel and aide-de-camp to the island's last governor William Keppel.

Family

On 17 February 1813, Lukis married his first cousin, Elizabeth Collings (1791–1865). They had three daughters and six sons, some of whom inherited his interests. John Walter Lukis (1816–1894), his second son, was a mining engineer and excavator; the eldest daughter, Louisa Collings, was a lichenologist; his third son, William Collings Lukis, was an antiquarian and archaeologist; the fifth son, François du Bois Lukis (1826–1907), was a lieutenant and archaeologist. His youngest daughter, Mary-Anne (1822–1906), provided watercolour sketches of Lukis' artefacts. Lukis died at the house he was born in. Lukis' collection was donated by his son François du Bois to the Guernsey Museum, and forms its nucleus. His living descendants include the actor Adrian Lukis; Christopher Beaumont, 23rd Seigneur of Sark.