John Leonard Jinks, 21 October 1929 - 6 June 1987

John Jinks first joined me as an outstandingly able research student: he became a stimulating colleague and a valued friend. His interests overlapped extensively with my own, and we both worked in the Department of Genetics at the University of Birmingham from 1950 to 1985 apart from six years (1965-71) w hen I was away at the University of Southampton— and even then we collaborated in writing the 2nd edition of Biometrical genetics . After he left the Department in 1985 to become Secretary and Deputy Chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council in London we met from time to time and inevitably discussed genetical matters among other things. These are the reasons for any personal or autobiographical element that may be found in this memoir.