Alexander Keiller (archaeologist)
Alexander Keiller FSA FGS (1889–1955) was a Scottish archaeologist and businessman who worked on an extensive prehistoric site at Avebury in Wiltshire, England.
Keiller was heir to the marmalade business of his family, James Keiller & Son that had been established in 1797 in Dundee, and exported marmalade and confectionery across the British Empire.
He used his wealth to acquire a total of 950 acres (3.8 km2) of land in Avebury for preservation and he conducted excavations, re-erected stones on the Avebury site, and created a museum to interpret the site. He also pioneered aerial photography for archaeological interpretation.
At Avebury, Keiller founded the Morven Institute of Archeological Research, now the Alexander Keiller Museum. In 1943 he sold the land at Avebury to the National Trust for its agricultural value only.
Alexander Keiller was born in Dundee in 1889. When Keiller was nine, his father died, leaving him the sole heir to the wealth generated by the family's business. He was sent to Hazelwood School at Limpsfield in Surrey and from there went on to Eton College. When he was seventeen, his mother died, and he returned home to administer the family business.
On 2 June 1913, Keiller married Florence Marianne Phil-Morris (1883–1955), the daughter of artist Philip Richard Morris. They moved into Keiller's house in London. After the First World War, they were divorced.
On 29 February 1924, Keiller married Veronica Mildred Liddell (1900–1964). Veronica shared his interest in archaeology, and visited Avebury with him later that year. Following a separation, Keiller divorced Veronica in 1934.
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