Richard Relhan facts for kids

Richard Relhan (1754–1823) was a smart botanist, which means he studied plants. He was also a special member of King's College, Cambridge, and he wrote a very famous book all about the plants growing around Cambridge.

Richard Relhan was born in Dublin in 1754. His father was Dr. Anthony Relhan. When Richard was 13, in 1767, he became a King's Scholar at Westminster School. Later, in 1773, he joined Trinity College, Cambridge. He worked hard and earned his first degree in 1776, and then a master's degree in 1779. In 1781, he became a fellow and chaplain at King's College, Cambridge.

Richard Relhan's Plant Books

Richard Relhan loved studying plants. In 1783, another plant expert, Professor Thomas Martyn, gave Relhan all his notes about Cambridge plants. Professor Martyn had been collecting these notes for a long time.

The Famous Flora Cantabrigiensis

With Professor Martyn's help, Relhan published his most important book, called Flora Cantabrigiensis, in 1785. This book described many new plants and included seven detailed pictures drawn by James Sowerby. Relhan also added more information to his book in 1787, 1788, and 1793. He even released new, bigger versions of the book in 1802 and 1820.

Relhan also thought about writing a book called Flora Anglica, which would cover plants from all over England. However, he didn't get enough support to make that book happen. In 1787, he also published notes from his lectures on botany that he gave at Cambridge University.

A Member of Important Societies

Richard Relhan was recognized for his scientific work. On June 12, 1787, he became a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists. In 1788, he also became one of the first members of the Linnean Society, which is another important group for people who study nature.

Later Life and Other Interests

In 1791, Relhan moved to Hemingby, Lincolnshire, where he became a church leader. While living there, he spent a lot of time studying the writings of an ancient Roman historian named Tacitus.

He published his own versions of Tacitus's books in 1809 and 1819. Relhan's notes in these books were often based on the work of a French scholar named Gabriel Brotier. Richard Relhan passed away on March 28, 1823.

Relhan's Legacy in Botany

Richard Relhan was especially good at studying Cryptogamia. These are plants that don't produce seeds or flowers, like mosses, ferns, and fungi. He named many different types of fungi.

Another botanist, L'Heritier, named a group of South African plants called Relhania in honor of Richard Relhan.

Images for kids

• Barnwell Leper Chapel Cambridge.jpg

  Richard Relhan painted a watercolor of the Barnwell Leper Chapel.