Charlotte, Lady Wheeler-Cuffe facts for kids

Charlotte Isabel Wheeler-Cuffe (born Williams) was a talented artist, plant collector, and gardener. She loved studying plants and drawing them. She lived from May 24, 1867, to March 8, 1967.

Early Life and Education

Charlotte Williams was born on May 24, 1867, in Wimbledon, London. Her family had strong connections to Ireland. Her grandfather was Sir Hercules Langrishe, a well-known figure from County Kilkenny.

Her father, William Williams, was a leader of The Law Society in England and Wales. Charlotte's family gave her the nickname "Shadow." She was taught at home by a private teacher. Later, she studied painting with a famous artist named Frank Calderon.

Life in Burma

In 1897, Charlotte married Otway Fortescue Wheeler-Cuffe in Sussex. Otway was a civil engineer. He worked for the government in Burma (now Myanmar). Soon after their wedding, they moved to Burma.

Charlotte often joined Otway on his work trips. These trips took them to faraway parts of Burma. She wrote many letters to her mother, describing her adventures. After her mother passed away, she continued writing to her husband's cousin, Baroness Pauline Prochazka. She also wrote to Sir Frederick Moore, who managed the Royal Botanic Gardens in Dublin, Ireland.

Discovering New Plants

Charlotte was very interested in plants. In 1911, she explored Mount Victoria in Burma. There, she found two new types of rhododendron flowers. One was a small, yellow-flowered shrub. The other had white flowers and grew on pine trees. This second plant was later named Rhododendron cuffeanum in her honor.

She sent living samples of these new plants to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Dublin. They grew and bloomed there. She also found a blue buttercup on the mountain, which was nicknamed "Shadow's buttercup." Charlotte loved to collect wild plants for her own garden. She also sent plants to her friends and family in England and Ireland. One special plant she shared was the beautiful Shan lily (Lilium sulphureum).

Creating a Botanical Garden

The government in Burma asked Charlotte to help create a new botanical garden. This garden was planned for Maymyo (now Pyin U Lwin). She gladly accepted the challenge. From 1916 to 1921, she worked on designing and planting this important garden.

After 1921, Charlotte and her husband left Burma. They moved to the Cuffe family home in Leyrath, outside Kilkenny, Ireland. Charlotte Isabel Wheeler-Cuffe lived a long life. She passed away at Leyrath on March 8, 1967. She was almost 100 years old.

Publications and Art

While living in Burma, Charlotte created a special book called The Burma Alphabet. This book featured her beautiful watercolor paintings. She sold copies of the book to raise money. The money helped build a new hospital for children in Mandalay, called the Queen Alexandra's Children's Hospital.

Legacy

Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe wanted her watercolor paintings of Burmese orchids and other plants to stay at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Ireland. Her letters to her mother and Polly Prochazka were also given to the gardens. Some of her sketchbooks are there too.

However, many of her other paintings, like landscapes of Ireland and Burma, were sold at an auction in 1993. Because of this, her artwork is now spread out in many different places.

See also

• List of Irish botanical illustrators
• List of Irish plant collectors