Henry Baker Tristram facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Baker Tristram
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| Born | 11 May 1822 Eglingham, Northumberland, England
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| Died | 8 March 1906 (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford |
| Known for | Travel, science in Middle East |
| Awards | Fellow of Royal Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ornithology |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Tristram |
Henry Baker Tristram (born May 11, 1822 – died March 8, 1906) was an English clergyman, a person who studies the Bible, a traveler, and an ornithologist (someone who studies birds). He was also a "parson-naturalist," meaning he was both a church leader and a scientist. He was one of the first people to support Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution, but he also tried to connect these ideas with the story of creation.
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Early Life and Education
Henry Baker Tristram was born in Eglingham, a village in Northumberland, England. His father, also named Henry Baker Tristram, was a vicar (a type of church leader).
Young Henry went to Durham School and later studied at Lincoln College, Oxford University. In 1846, he became a priest in the Church of England.
Exploring the World and Studying Nature
Henry Baker Tristram was a great traveler and explorer. From 1847 to 1849, he worked as a secretary for the governor of Bermuda.
He explored the Sahara desert, a huge desert in Africa. He also made several trips to Palestine, a region in the Middle East. He visited Palestine in 1858, 1863, and 1872. During these trips, he spent his time studying nature, especially birds, and learning about places mentioned in the Bible.
In 1873, he became a "canon" at Durham Cathedral, which is a senior position in a cathedral church. He continued his travels, visiting Palestine, Lebanon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), and Armenia in 1881.
He even traveled to Japan in 1891 to visit his daughter, Katherine Alice Salvin Tristram. She was a missionary and a headteacher in Osaka, Japan. She was also the first woman missionary from the Church Missionary Society to have a university degree.
Tristram and Evolution
In 1858, Henry Tristram read important scientific papers by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. These papers introduced the idea of evolution through natural selection. Tristram wrote in a science journal called Ibis that he was convinced by their ideas after studying many different types of larks.
He tried to find a way for the idea of evolution to fit with the religious idea of creation. However, after a famous debate in Oxford in 1860, Tristram changed his mind and no longer supported Darwin's theory of evolution.
Contributions to Bird Study
Henry Tristram was a very important figure in the study of birds. He was one of the people who helped start the British Ornithologists' Union. In 1868, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists.
During his travels, he collected a large number of bird skins. These collections are very important for scientists to study different bird species. He later sold his collection to the World Museum Liverpool.
Published Works
Henry Tristram wrote many books about his travels and his studies of nature and the Bible. Some of his well-known books include:
- The Great Sahara (1860)
- The Land of Israel, a Journal of Travels in Palestine (1865)
- The Natural History of the Bible (1867)
- Land of Moab (1874)
- The Fauna and Flora of Palestine (1884)
Lasting Legacy
Many animals have been named after Henry Baker Tristram because of his important work in natural history. These include:
- Tristram's starling (a bird)
- Tristram's warbler (a bird)
- Tristram's storm petrel (a seabird)
- Meriones tristrami (a type of gerbil, also called Tristram's jird)
- Acanthodactylus tristrami (a species of lizard)
Family Life
Henry Baker Tristram married Eleanor Mary Bowlby on February 5, 1850. They had eight children. One of their children was Katherine Alice Salvin Tristram, who became a missionary and headteacher in Japan.
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Henry Baker Tristram
