John Sims (taxonomist) facts for kids
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John Sims (born October 13, 1749 – died February 26, 1831) was an English physician (a doctor) and a botanist (someone who studies plants). He was born in Canterbury, Kent. John Sims went to a Quaker school in Oxfordshire and later studied medicine at Edinburgh University. He moved to London in 1766 and worked as a doctor. He was also the first editor of a famous plant magazine called Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
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Early Life and Education
John Sims was born in Canterbury, Kent. His father, Robert Courthope Sims, was also a physician and a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers).
John went to a Quaker school in Burford, Oxfordshire. He also learned a lot from his father. Later, he studied medicine at Edinburgh University and earned his PhD in 1774.
Career Highlights
Working as a Doctor
In 1766, John Sims moved to London. There, he worked as a doctor at the Surrey Dispensary. In 1779, he started his own practice helping mothers with childbirth. He was also accepted into the Royal College of Physicians.
In 1780, he became a special doctor for a charity that helped poor married women have their babies at home. In 1817, he was called to help with a difficult childbirth for Princess Charlotte.
Studying Plants
John Sims was very important in the world of botany. After the founder, William Curtis, passed away, John became the first editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine. He worked on this magazine from 1801 to 1826. He also helped edit another plant journal called Annals of Botany from 1805 to 1806.
He was one of the people who helped start the Linnean Society, which is a famous group for natural history. In 1814, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.
John Sims wrote papers about plants, including one about how moisture affects a plant called Mesembryanthemum. A plant genus (a group of related plants) was named Simsia in his honor by a German botanist in 1807. His collection of dried plants, called a herbarium, was later bought by George Bentham and is now at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Later Life and Death
In 1825, John Sims stopped working as a doctor. He moved to Dorking, Surrey, where he passed away in 1831. He is buried in Fittleworth, Sussex, with his wife Ann and their only son.
