John Stevens Henslow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Stevens Henslow
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| Born | 6 February 1796 |
| Died | 16 May 1861 (aged 65) |
| Education | St. John's College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Geology of Anglesey, mentoring Charles Darwin |
| Relatives | John Henslow (grandfather) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology, Botany |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Notable students | Miles Joseph Berkeley, Cardale Babington, Leonard Jenyns, Richard Thomas Lowe, William Hallowes Miller |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Hensl. |
John Stevens Henslow (born February 6, 1796 – died May 16, 1861) was an important English scientist. He was a priest, a botanist (someone who studies plants), and a geologist (someone who studies rocks and Earth's history). He is most famous for being a good friend and teacher to the famous scientist Charles Darwin.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Stevens Henslow was born in Rochester, Kent, England. His father, John Prentis Henslow, was a lawyer.
Henslow went to St. John's College, Cambridge. He studied hard and graduated in 1818. This was the same year that Adam Sedgwick became a professor of geology at Cambridge.
A Passion for Nature
Henslow loved natural history from a young age. This passion guided his whole career. In 1819, he joined Professor Sedgwick on a trip to the Isle of Wight. There, he learned a lot about geology.
He also studied chemistry and mineralogy. Mineralogy is the study of minerals. In 1819 and 1820, Henslow explored the geology of the Isle of Man and Anglesey. He wrote about his findings, which were very important.
Becoming a Professor
In 1822, Henslow became a professor of mineralogy at the University of Cambridge. He was very good at studying minerals. Two years later, he became a priest.
However, Henslow was even more interested in plants. So, in 1827, he happily left his mineralogy job. He became the professor of botany instead. He was a wonderful teacher, both in the classroom and outdoors.
Studying Plants and Helping Others
From 1821, Henslow started collecting British plants for a herbarium. A herbarium is a collection of dried plants. He worked with friends, family, and other botanists like William Jackson Hooker. About 30 of his students also helped him.
Henslow wanted to understand how plants varied within a species. He carefully compared different plant samples. In 1829, he published A Catalogue of British Plants. This book became important for his classes.
Mentoring Charles Darwin
Henslow is well-known for being a friend and teacher to Charles Darwin. They met in 1828. Darwin joined Henslow's plant course. He helped collect plants around Cambridge.
Henslow quickly saw that Darwin was a very promising student. In 1830, Henslow did experiments to see how growing conditions changed wild plants. He used these ideas in his textbook, Principles of Descriptive and Physiological Botany, published in 1835.
Darwin's Voyage on the Beagle
In 1831, Henslow was asked to join the ship HMS Beagle as a naturalist. The ship was going on a two-year trip to South America. But Henslow's wife convinced him not to go.
Henslow saw a great chance for Darwin. He wrote to the ship's captain, Robert Fitzroy. He told Fitzroy that Darwin was perfect for the expedition. During the voyage, Darwin wrote many letters to Henslow. He also collected plants especially for Henslow.
When Darwin first arrived at the Galápagos Islands, he noticed how unique the plants were. He carefully labeled plant specimens by island and date. He also collected mockingbirds. At first, he thought they were just different types of the same bird. But later, he wondered if they might be different species. This idea helped him develop his theory of evolution. Henslow's teaching greatly influenced Darwin's work.
Besides Darwin, many other famous students learned from Henslow. These included Miles Joseph Berkeley and Leonard Jenyns.
A Country Rector
In 1833, Henslow became a vicar in Cholsey, England. He still lived in Cambridge and only visited his parish during holidays. He had another priest help with daily duties.
However, in 1837, he got a new job as rector of Hitcham, Suffolk. This was a big change. In 1839, he moved to Hitcham and lived there for the rest of his life. He worked hard to help the people in his parish. His influence spread far beyond Hitcham.
Even though he moved, Henslow did not give up his professor job at Cambridge. He still gave lectures and helped with university matters. But his main focus was now on his parish.
Helping the Community in Hitcham
Henslow did a lot for the people of Hitcham:
- The Parish School: Hitcham was a poor area, and many people could not read or write. Henslow raised money and gave his own money to start a school in 1841. He even taught classes for older children on Monday afternoons. He taught them botany, which is the study of plants. Important people like Albert, Prince Consort respected Henslow's ideas about teaching science.
- Adult Education: Henslow created the Hitcham Labourers' and Mechanics' Horticultural Society. This group helped farmers and workers learn more about gardening and farming. They had competitions and trips. The goal was to improve farming by educating the villagers.
- Museums: Henslow believed that museums were great places for learning. He helped create the Ipswich Museum in 1847. It was a natural history museum. Henslow became its president in 1850.
Henslow remained a curious scientist. In 1843, he found special rocks called coprolites near Felixstowe. These rocks were useful for agriculture (farming). His discoveries led to a new industry in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. This industry made phosphate for fertilizers.
In 1851, a plant genus from Indo-China was named Henslowia in his honor.
John Stevens Henslow passed away on May 16, 1861, in Hitcham.
Family Life
John Stevens Henslow married Harriet Jenyns in 1823. Her brother was Leonard Jenyns, another notable student of Henslow.
Their oldest daughter, Frances Harriet Hooker, married the famous botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker. Their youngest daughter, Anne Henslow Barnard, became an artist who drew plants. One of their sons, George Henslow, also became a professor of botany.
Selected Publications
- Henslow, John Stevens. (1823). A Syllabus of a Course of Lectures on Mineralogy.
- Henslow, John Stevens. (1829; 2nd ed. 1835). A Catalogue of British Plants.
- Henslow, John Stevens. (1835). The Principles of Descriptive and Physiological Botany.
- Henslow, John Stevens. (1846). The Teaching of Science in Cambridge.
- Henslow, John Stevens. (1856). A Dictionary of Botanical Terms.
- Henslow, John Stevens, and Skepper, E. (1866). Flora of Suffolk.
Images for kids
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Henslow's geological map of Anglesey from 1822.
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