Patrick Matthew facts for kids
Patrick Matthew (born October 20, 1790 – died June 8, 1874) was a Scottish grain merchant, farmer, and forester. He helped us understand horticulture (growing plants), silviculture (growing trees), and agriculture (farming) in general. He focused on how to grow food and timber to support the British navy and new colonies.
In 1831, Matthew published an important idea: the basic concept of natural selection. This is a way that living things change and adapt over time. However, he didn't develop or share his ideas widely. Later, in 1859, Charles Darwin published his famous book, On the Origin of Species. Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace were then seen as the ones who came up with the idea of evolution by natural selection.
After Darwin's book came out, Matthew contacted him. Darwin then added a note to later editions of his book. He said that Matthew had written about natural selection earlier. Matthew's ideas were mostly found in the extra parts of his 1831 book, On Naval Timber and Arboriculture.
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Life of Patrick Matthew
Patrick Matthew was born on October 20, 1790, at a farm called Rome in Perthshire, Scotland. His mother was Agnes Duncan. When he was just seventeen, his father died. Patrick had to take over managing the family estate at Gourdiehill, near Errol, Perth and Kinross.
He had studied at Perth Academy and the University of Edinburgh. But he left before finishing his degree to manage the estate. Over the years, he turned much of the land into large orchards. He grew more than 10,000 apple and pear trees. He became very interested in growing trees and plants. This helped him understand how nature works. His experiences on his own estate helped him form his ideas and theories.
Between 1807 and 1831, Matthew traveled in Europe. Sometimes it was for business, and sometimes to learn about science or farming. He even bought two farms in what is now northern Germany.
In 1817, Matthew married Christian Nicol. They had eight children. His sons helped with the farms, and some even moved to New Zealand. There, they started one of the first commercial orchards using seeds from Gourdiehill. His son John, who stayed in America, sent him the first seedlings of Giant Redwood and Coastal Redwood trees in 1853. Some of these trees are still growing in Scotland today!
Matthew's house, Gourdiehill, was torn down in 1990. Some of its stones were used in a rock garden nearby.
Matthew's Work and Ideas
When Matthew managed his orchards, he learned a lot about growing plants for food. This also taught him about growing trees.
Natural Selection and Darwin
In 1860, Patrick Matthew read a review of Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species. The review said Darwin had discovered natural selection. Matthew wrote a letter to the Gardeners' Chronicle newspaper. He explained that he had published similar ideas in his book Naval Timber and Arboriculture back in 1831. He included parts from his book to show his ideas.
Matthew wrote about how difficult it was to tell the difference between a "species" and a "variety" of living things. He thought that living things could change if their surroundings changed. He also believed that after big natural disasters, new life forms would appear. These new forms would adapt to the new conditions.
He explained that nature creates many offspring. But only the strongest and best-suited ones survive and grow. The weaker ones are destroyed early. He called this a "circumstance-adaptive law." It means that small changes in offspring, over time, help them adapt to their environment.
When Darwin read Matthew's letter, he was very interested. He wrote to a friend, saying Matthew had "briefly but completely anticipates the theory of Nat. Selection." Darwin then wrote his own letter to the Gardener's Chronicle. He openly admitted that Matthew had come up with the idea of natural selection many years before him. Darwin explained that he and other scientists hadn't known about Matthew's ideas. This was because they were in the appendix of a book about naval timber, not a science book.
Darwin promised to add a note to his book. He did this in the third edition (1861) and all later editions. He said that Matthew had "clearly saw...the full force of the principle of natural selection." Matthew himself later wrote that the idea came to him easily. He felt Darwin had done more work to prove it step-by-step.
Why Matthew's Ideas Weren't Widely Known
Many experts agree that Matthew had the right idea about natural selection. However, he didn't develop it further or explain it clearly enough. He also published it in a book about trees for shipbuilding, which wasn't where scientists would look for ideas about evolution. Because of this, his ideas didn't have a big impact at the time.
Historian Peter Bowler said that Matthew suggested the idea, but "he did nothing to develop it." He also said that Matthew "played no role in the emergence of Darwinism." Ernst Mayr, another expert, agreed. He said Matthew "did not devote the next twenty years to converting it into a cogent theory of evolution."
Some people today claim that Darwin and Wallace might have known about Matthew's work. But there is no clear proof that Darwin read Matthew's book before 1859. Darwin himself said he had to order the book after Matthew's letter. The main reason Matthew's ideas were not widely known was their hidden location and lack of further development.
Patrick Matthew's Views
Social and Political Ideas
Patrick Matthew had some very modern ideas for his time. Even though he owned land, he supported the Chartist movement. This group wanted more rights for working people. He believed that having "hereditary nobility" (people born into power) was bad for society. Some people think these strong political views might have made it harder for his scientific ideas to be accepted.
Matthew also wrote a book in 1839 called Emigration Fields. In it, he suggested that if there were too many people, they could move to North America and other British colonies.
He also had strong opinions on international events. He supported Germany in some wars, like the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). In 1870, he became aware of the poor living conditions for workers in Dundee, Scotland. He wrote a letter to a newspaper, pointing out the high death rate of children. He even suggested a plan to improve the city.
The Tay Bridge
Patrick Matthew also had strong opinions about building a bridge over the River Tay near Dundee. In 1864, when a bridge was proposed, Matthew argued against building it at Dundee. He thought a bridge at Newburgh, a different location, would be better. He said it would be shorter and cheaper.
He also warned that the Dundee bridge would cost much more than planned. He worried it might not be strong enough. He said, "To erect a substantial bridge, not a flimsy spectral thing, which might or not vanish as a phantom the first storm, or break down under the vibration caused by a heavy, rapid, moving train, would, in my opinion cost nearly double...the sum the Engineer states."
Matthew's warnings were not listened to. The bridge was built at Dundee and opened in 1878. Sadly, it was destroyed in a storm in December 1879. A train was crossing when the middle part of the bridge collapsed, and about seventy-five lives were lost. People remembered Matthew's warnings after the disaster. While the disaster was mainly due to problems with the bridge's design and construction, Matthew had indeed predicted that a storm could cause it to collapse.
See also
