[4] As a child, he knew Clerk Maxwell, whom he considered to be a humorous individual.

Searle is known for his work on the velocity dependence of the electromagnetic mass.

This was a direct predecessor of Einstein's theory of special relativity, when several people were investigating the change of mass with velocity.

Searle was married to Alice Mary Edwards; they had no children.

[1] He contracted a disease at the beginning of World War I and was alleged to have cured himself through spiritual healing.