Frederick William Moore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick William Moore
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| Born | 3 September 1857 Glasnevin, Ireland
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| Died | 23 August 1949 (aged 91) Rathfarnham
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Keeper of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dublin |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | botany |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | F.W.Moore |
Sir Frederick William Moore (born September 3, 1857, in Glasnevin and died August 23, 1949, in Ballybrack) was a very important person in the world of plants. He was the President of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. He also managed the famous Royal Botanical Gardens, Dublin from 1879 to 1922.
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Frederick Moore's Early Life
Frederick was the oldest son of David Moore, who was also a plant expert. His mother was Margaret Baker. Frederick had four younger brothers and sisters. His father wanted him to work with plants, so he encouraged Frederick to study botany.
In 1869, Frederick and his younger brother, David Francis, went to school in Hanover, Germany. While there, Frederick often visited the Herrenhausen Gardens. He even became friends with the garden's director, Herman Wendland. After three years in Germany, both brothers could speak German and French very well.
Frederick later studied at the Royal School in Armagh, Ireland. In 1873, he took classes in chemistry, geology, and surveying at the Royal College of Science, Dublin. He passed the tests for the Indian Forest Service but was not chosen for the training.
Frederick Moore's Career in Horticulture
In 1875, Frederick started as an unpaid helper at a plant nursery in Ghent, Belgium. This nursery was owned by Louis van Houtte. Frederick also went to the nursery's special school for plant care.
After about 15 months, he moved to the Hortus Botanicus Leiden in the Netherlands. There, he learned more about plants from Professor Willem Suringar. He also explored other local plant nurseries.
Becoming Head Gardener
In October 1876, Frederick was offered a job as the head gardener at the botanic garden at Trinity College Dublin. He started a month later. For about three years, he managed the 6-acre garden in Ballsbridge.
When his father passed away in 1879, Frederick wanted to take over his father's job at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. Many newspapers in Dublin supported him. He became the curator of the gardens on September 9, 1879. He kept this job for 43 years. In 1890, his job title changed to "keeper."
Growing the Gardens
During his time as keeper, Frederick made sure new glasshouses were built. These glasshouses helped the gardens grow their amazing collections of plants. These included tropical orchids, insect-eating plants, ferns, palms, and cycads.
The garden became famous for its large collection of orchids. Many of these orchids were new to science. One type of orchid, Neomoorea, was even named after him! Artists like Lydia Shackleton were hired to paint these orchids. This created a huge collection of beautiful plant paintings. Frederick also loved to develop new types of garden plants.
In 1898, Frederick started a gardening course for women at Glasnevin. Later, men could also join these courses. The botanic garden helped many other gardens in Ireland. Frederick wanted to share new plants with gardens that had the best climate and soil for them. Gardens like Mount Usher in County Wicklow and Headfort in County Meath received many new, strong plants from plant trips to China.
Moore's Focus on Practical Horticulture
Unlike his father, Frederick was more interested in the practical side of gardening. He focused on how to grow and care for plants. He left the job of identifying and describing new plants to other botanists in London.
Frederick did not publish many important papers or give many lectures. However, he often spoke at meetings of the societies he belonged to. He was known for being polite, kind, and generous. He also had a deep knowledge of plants and gardening.
By the 1890s, many people saw Frederick as Ireland's best plant expert. He often visited London for shows by the Royal Horticultural Society. He also went to important plant events across Europe.
In 1897, he was one of 60 people to receive the Victoria Medal of Honour from the Royal Horticultural Society. King George V made him a knight on July 11, 1911, for his work in horticulture. In 1939, he received an honorary science degree from the University of Dublin.
Other Interests and Achievements
Frederick Moore also loved rugby! He played for Ireland four times between 1884 and 1886. He played against teams from Wales, England, and Scotland. He was also the president of the Irish Rugby Football Union from 1889 to 1890.
Besides rugby, he enjoyed hunting, riding horses, and rowing. He became a member of several important groups:
- The Royal Irish Academy (1887)
- The Royal Dublin Society (1891)
- The Linnean Society of London (1894, then a fellow in 1911)
- He was also president of the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland from 1917 to 1922.
Frederick was very active with the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. He served as chairman of its council, honorary secretary, and president. In 1939, he received their gold medal of honor.
