Stephen Robert Nockolds, FRS (10 May 1909 – 7 February 1990) was a geochemist, petrologist and winner of the Murchison Medal of the Geological Society of London. Robert Nockolds was born at St Columb Major, Cornwall, the son of Dr Stephen Nockolds, a surgeon of Brighton, and his wife Hilda Tomlinson. He was educated at Ascham St Vincent's School, Eastbourne and at Felsted School where his interest in rocks already manifested itself. He then went to Manchester University and then took a PhD at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became a Fellow of Trinity College, and lectured in petrology at Cambridge. In 1957 he became Reader in Geochemistry at Cambridge, and Emeritus Reader. In 1959 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was also an Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of India. In