Mather, John H.

Variant names

Biographical notes:

John Hugh Mather was born in 1887 in Stroud Green, England. While helping to load the expedition ship Terra Nova in London as a junior member of the RNVR, Mather applied successfully to join the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913 (leader Robert Falcon Scott). He served as Petty Officer for three years, but his experience of clerical work led to his being frequently taken from that rank to help with secretarial work and he became particularly adept at taxonomy.

Mather served at sea with distinction in the First World War, retiring with the rank of Commander. In 1929, he founded the Antarctic Club, an annual dining club for former members of the British expeditions, and was its dedicated Honorary Secretary until his death on 10 April 1957 in Farnborough, England.

From the guide to the John Mather collection, 1911-1913, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)