Reginald Stuart Poole

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Reginald Stuart Poole (27 January 1832–8 February 1895) was an English archaeologist and orientalist.

Born in London, he was the son of the Rev. Edward Poole, a well-known bibliophile. His parents became estranged during his early childhood, and his mother, Sophia Lane Poole, took her sons to Egypt to live with her brother, the famed Orientalist Edward William Lane. During their seven-year residence in Cairo from 1842 to 1849, Lane Poole wrote The Englishwoman in Egypt, while her son imbibing an early taste for Egyptian antiquities.

In 1852 he became an assistant in the British Museum, and was assigned to the department of coins and medals, of which in 1870 he became keeper. In that capacity he did work of the highest value, alike as a writer, teacher and administrator. In 1882 he was largely responsible for founding the Egypt Exploration Fund, and in 1884 for starting the Society of English Medallists. He retired in 1893, and died in 1895.

Some of Poole's best work was done in his articles for the 9th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, on Egypt, Hieroglyphics and Numismatics; he also wrote for Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, and published several volumes dealing with his special subjects. He was for some time professor of archaeology at University College, London; and also lecturer at the Royal Academy.