George Brettingham Sowerby I facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Brettingham Sowerby I
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| Born | 12 August 1788 |
| Died | 26 July 1854 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Conchology, malacology |
| Scientific career | |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Sby., Sowerby |
George Brettingham Sowerby I (born August 12, 1788 – died July 26, 1854) was a British naturalist. He was also an illustrator, meaning he drew pictures of nature. Most importantly, he was a conchologist. A conchologist is someone who studies shells and the animals that live in them, called molluscs.
Contents
About George Brettingham Sowerby I
George Brettingham Sowerby I was the second son of James Sowerby, who was also a famous naturalist. George learned at home from private teachers. He helped his father create books with drawings about nature.
When his father passed away in 1822, George and his brother, James De Carle Sowerby, kept working on their father's books. They focused on fossil shells. They published the later parts of a big book called Mineral Conchology of Great Britain.
George wrote about 50 papers about molluscs. He also started several large books with illustrations about shells. The most important of these was Thesaurus Conchyliorum. His son, George Brettingham Sowerby II, and his grandson, George Brettingham Sowerby III, continued this important work.
One of his first jobs was to list all the shells in the collection of the Earl of Tankerville. George also bought and sold shells and other natural history items. His shop was in different places in London over the years.
He became a member of the Linnean Society on March 5, 1811. This is a famous group for naturalists.
George Brettingham Sowerby I passed away on July 26, 1854. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.
His Family
George married Elizabeth Meredith on April 16, 1811. They had two sons and one daughter. Their sons were George Brettingham II and Henry. Their daughter was Charlotte Caroline Sowerby. Charlotte became an artist who drew plants.
His son Henry was born in Kensington on March 28, 1825. Henry worked as an assistant at the Linnean Society from 1843 to 1852. In 1854, he moved to Australia. There, he became a draughtsman at Melbourne University. He also taught drawing in schools. Later in his life, he spent about 20 years working in gold mining. Henry died near Melbourne on September 15, 1891.
His Important Works
George Brettingham Sowerby I wrote many important books and papers. Here are some of his well-known works:
- A Catalogue of the Shells Contained in the Collection of the Late Earl of Tankerville (1825) – This was a list of shells from a famous collection.
- A Conchological Manual (1839) – A handbook about shells.
- Thesaurus Conchyliorum – A very large and important work about shells, continued by his family.
- Illustrated Index of British Shells (1859) – A book with pictures of shells found in Britain.
- A descriptive catalogue of the species of Leach's genus Margarita (1838) – A paper describing a type of shell.
Species He Described
George Brettingham Sowerby I was the first to describe many new species of molluscs. This means he was the first scientist to give them a scientific name and explain what they looked like.
Some of the species he described include:
- Lottia gigantea
- Diodora calyculata
- Diodora ruepellii
See also
In Spanish: George Brettingham Sowerby I para niños
Images for kids
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Grave of George Brettingham Sowerby I in Highgate Cemetery
