Ernest Rutherford was born in Brightwater, New Zealand on 30 August 1871. He was the son of James Rutherford who was a farmer in New Zealand, but was originally from Scotland. He and his wife Martha Thompson moved there to grow flax and raise their children. At birth his name was misspelled as "Earnest" on his birth certificate. At the age of 5 he and his family moved to Railhead near Foxhill so he could attend the local school. Then at the age of 10 they moved again to Marlborough Sounds so that his father could be closer to his flax mill. In 1887 at his second attempt he won the "Marlborough Education Board Scholarship" at Nelson College. From 1887 to 1889 he attended Nelson College and was head boy in his final year. Then, on his second attempt, he won one of 10 scholarships to Canterbury College. While studying he participated in the debating society, science society and played rugby. He then obtained a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, English, French, Latin and physics. his mathematical ability earned him the senior scholarship in mathematics...