Ernest Marsden was a New Zealand physicist born in England in 1889. He helped discover the atomic theory and structure of atoms through his work with Ernest Rutherford. Marsden had an illustrious scientific career, holding fellowships in the Royal Society and presidency of the Royal Society in New Zealand. He developed radar equipment during World War II and made important contributions to nuclear physics research. Marsden traced his ancestry to old Lancashire families in England before his parents emigrated to New Zealand where he was born.

1.  Ernest Marsden
 February 19, 1889-December 15, 1970

 Discovering the atomic theory
 ‘infectious enthusiasm’ and ‘irrepressible
optimism’-colleagues describing Marsden

2.  English-New Zealand
 Went to Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School,
attended University of Manchester, worked on
radar research during World War II
 Royal Engineer and World War II Scientist

3.  Helped discover the atomic theory, theory of
atomic structure, developed radar equipment
 Fellowship in Royal Society, President of Royal
Society in New Zealand, Rutherford Memorial
Lecture, first secretary of DSIR, and
knighthood

4.  A stroke left him confined to a wheelchair
 He traced his ancestry to the Marsdens and
Holdens, and the oldest families in Darwen,
Lancashsire. His grandfather, Fish Holden, great-
great-grandson of Timothy Holden, married Esther
Place, moving to Rishton. In 1885, their daughter
Phoebe, Earnest’s mother married Thomas
Marsden. Thomas Marsden was originally a
cotton cloth weaver, but later a household draper
and hardware dealer at 68-70 Hermitage Street,
Rishton, and he was also choirmaster at Rishton
Congregational Chapel. Ernest was the second of
a the family of four sons and a daughter, Hilda the
youngest.

5.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Marsde
n
http://www.natlib.govt.nz/collections/online
-exhibitions/20th-century-scientists/ernest-
marsden
http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ma-
Na/Marsden-Ernest.html
http://www.jstor.org/pss/769716