Excerpts from the 1927 Guardian obituary.

'William Hobbs Shrubsole was born at Faversham on the 3rd August 1837.'

'Mr Shrubsole said his first experience in Sheppey geology occurred some 30 years ago, when a then well known local celebrity existing under the sobriquet of 'Paddy Hayes,' being responsible, in large measure for his evincing an interest in its study. "Paddy" Hayes was a typical Hibernian, and resided in a dingy room in the back streets of Blue town, subsisting on the income derived from the collection of fossils he discovered at the foot of Sheppey cliffs, which went principally to London, and he had no hesitation in saying that some very valuable specimens now in the British Museum had passed through the hands of "Paddy" in his incongruous connection with geological "finds".

Charles Dickens in 1866, in a magazine article, expressed his opinion that a visit to Sheerness would be incomplete in character were one to miss site of "Paddy"

'Mr Hayes had long since passed away, but on his death, Mr Shrubsole soon adopted the study of geology.'

'Naturalists of note in Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland as well as at home have honoured Mr Shrubsole by connecting his name with various newly discovered specimens of plants, animals and fossils etc.; and in the official "Report of the scientific results of the voyage of H. M. S. Challenger," it is stated, respecting " Omphalopelta shrubsoliana," that the specific name has been given in honour of Mr Shrubsole who is well known for his researches on the fossil diatoms of the Lower Eocene of the London basin. The following extract is also from the "Catalogue of British Fossil Vertebrata," in the British Museum :- To Mr W. H. Shrubsole F. G. S. of Sheerness, paleontologists are mainly indebted for the numerous discoveries of vertebrate in the London Clay of Sheppey during the last twenty years and all his principal specimens are in the British Museum.