ABOUT THOMAS HAWKINS
English fossil collector and dealer of the 19th century. He was a geologist fond of ichthyosaurs, large extinct marine reptiles, and plesiosaurs, lizard-like marine reptiles.
He paid for, collected, and studied fossils exposed by erosion at Lyme Regis on the Dorset Coast, and from quarries in Somerset. He also collected geological specimens on the Isle of Wight.
His early collection was sold to Britain's Natural History Museum for 3,000 pounds.
He believed the ancient world was populated by giants.
He was the son of a farmer who encouraged his interest in geology by giving him enough money to purchase fossils. He lived in Glastonbury, Somerset.
He was a member of the Geological Society of London, which was co-founded by Humphry Davy and previously led by past president Charles Lyell .
