Editing Ernest Rutherford (section)

== Early life and education ==
Ernest Rutherford was born on 30 August 1871 in [[Brightwater]], a town near [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], New Zealand.<ref name=McLintock/> He was the fourth of twelve children of James Rutherford, an immigrant farmer and mechanic from [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]], Scotland, and his wife Martha Thompson, a schoolteacher from [[Hornchurch]], England.<ref name=McLintock>{{cite encyclopedia|author=A.H. McLintock|encyclopedia=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand|title=Rutherford, Sir Ernest (Baron Rutherford of Nelson, O.M., F.R.S.)|edition=1966|date=18 September 2007|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/rutherford-sir-ernest/1|publisher=Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|isbn=978-0-478-18451-8|access-date=2 April 2008|archive-date=3 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203225115/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/rutherford-sir-ernest/1|url-status=live|url-access=<!--WP:URLACCESS-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_vNW1wg9npgC&pg=PA12|page=12|author=J.L. Heilbron|title=Ernest Rutherford And the Explosion of Atoms|date=12 June 2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-512378-6|access-date=22 February 2016|archive-date=29 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829161018/https://books.google.com/books?id=_vNW1wg9npgC&pg=PA12|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Rutherford's birth certificate was mistakenly written as 'Earnest'. He was known by his family as Ern.<ref name=McLintock/><ref name=":0">{{DNZB|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Rutherford, Ernest 1871–1937|id=3R37|access-date=4 April 2011}}</ref> 

When Rutherford was five he moved to Foxhill, New Zealand, and attended Foxhill School. At age 11 in 1883, the Rutherford family moved to [[Havelock, New Zealand|Havelock]], a town in the [[Marlborough Sounds]]. The move was made to be closer to the flax mill Rutherford's father developed.<ref name=":0" /> Ernest studied at [[Havelock School, New Zealand|Havelock School]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 October 1886 |title=Local and General News. |volume=22 |page=2 |work=[[Marlborough Express]] |issue=186 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18861007.2.8? |access-date=October 1, 2023 |via=Papers Past |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808010845/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18861007.2.8 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1887, on his second attempt, he won a scholarship to study at [[Nelson College]].<ref name=":0" /> On his first examination attempt, he had the highest mark of anyone from Nelson.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. Monday, December 28, 1885. Local and General News. |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18851228.2.5 |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808010547/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18851228.2.5 |url-status=live }}</ref> When he was awarded the scholarship, he had received 580 out of 600 possible marks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening Wednesday, January 5, 1887. Local and General News. |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18870105.2.6 |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808011211/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18870105.2.6 |url-status=live }}</ref> After being awarded the scholarship, Havelock School presented him with a five-volume set of books titled ''The Peoples of the World''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Papers Past {{!}} Newspapers {{!}} Marlborough Express {{!}} 25 January 1887 {{!}} Local and General News. |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18870125.2.6 |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808011630/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18870125.2.6 |url-status=live }}</ref> He studied at Nelson College between 1887 and 1889, and was head boy in 1889. He also played in the school's rugby team.<ref name=":0" /> He was offered a cadetship in government service, but he declined as he still had 15 months of college remaining.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Papers Past {{!}} Newspapers {{!}} Marlborough Express {{!}} 4 October 1887 {{!}} Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening.... |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18871004.2.7 |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808011952/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18871004.2.7 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1889, after his second attempt, he won a [[Bursary|scholarship]] to study at [[University of Canterbury#History|Canterbury College]], [[University of New Zealand]], between 1890 and 1894. He participated in its [[debating society]] and the Science Society.<ref name=":0" /> At Canterbury, he was awarded a complex [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in Latin, English, and Maths in 1892, a [[Master of Arts|MA]] in Mathematics and Physical Science in 1893, and a [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] in Chemistry and Geology in 1894.<ref name="Nobel Rutherford Biography">{{cite web |title=Ernest Rutherford Biographical |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1908/rutherford/biographical/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603075847/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1908/rutherford/biographical/ |archive-date=3 June 2023 |url-status=live |website=The Nobel Prize |publisher=Nobel Prize Outreach AB |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Famous Canterbury graduate Ernest Rutherford turns 150 |url=https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2021/famous-canterbury-graduate-ernest-rutherford-turns-150.html |website=The University of Canterbury |access-date=3 July 2023 |language=en-nz |date=27 August 2021 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703222040/https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2021/famous-canterbury-graduate-ernest-rutherford-turns-150.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thereafter, he invented a new form of radio receiver, and in 1895 Rutherford was awarded an [[1851 Research Fellowship]] from the [[Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851]],<ref>1851 Royal Commission Archives</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Papers Past {{!}} Newspapers {{!}} Ashburton Guardian {{!}} 13 July 1895 {{!}} European and Other Foreign Items |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18950713.2.9 |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808013431/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18950713.2.9 |url-status=live }}</ref> to travel to England for postgraduate study at the [[Cavendish Laboratory]], [[University of Cambridge]].<ref name="Venn">{{acad|id=RTRT895E|name=Rutherford, Ernest}}</ref> In 1897, he was awarded a BA Research Degree and the Coutts-Trotter Studentship from [[Trinity College, Cambridge]].<ref name="Nobel Rutherford Biography"/>