William Hudson (botanist) facts for kids

William Hudson FRS (1730 in Kendal – 23 May 1793) was a British botanist and apothecary based in London. He is most famous for his book, Flora Anglica, which was published in 1762. This book was very important because it helped introduce a new way of naming plants in England. He became a member of the Royal Society, a group for important scientists, in 1761.

William Hudson's Life and Discoveries

Early Life and Education

William Hudson was born around 1730 in Kendal, a town in England. His father owned an inn there. William went to Kendal grammar school. After school, he moved to London to train as an apothecary. An apothecary was like a pharmacist and doctor combined. They prepared and sold medicines.

A Passion for Plants

While training, William won a special prize for his knowledge of plants. He also studied other living things, like snails and insects. He even discovered a type of snail called Trochus terrestris.

From 1757 to 1768, William worked at the British Museum as a sub-librarian. This job allowed him to study many plant collections. He used this knowledge to improve how plants were named. He used the system created by a famous scientist named Linnaeus. This system helped scientists around the world use the same names for plants.

His Big Book: Flora Anglica

In 1761, William Hudson was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This was a great honor for a scientist. The next year, in 1762, he published the first edition of his most important book, Flora Anglica. This book was a big step for botany in England. It helped make Linnaeus's plant naming system popular there.

At the time, William was working as an apothecary in London. From 1765 to 1771, he also managed the Chelsea Physic Garden. This was a special garden where plants were grown for study and medicine. He even sent plants to Linnaeus himself!

In 1778, William published a much larger version of his Flora Anglica. He also planned to write a book about British animals, called Fauna Britannica. Sadly, in 1783, his house caught fire. Many of his plant and insect collections were destroyed. He and his family barely escaped. After this, William moved to a different street.

Later Years

In 1791, William joined the newly formed Linnean Society. This society was also dedicated to studying nature. He passed away on May 23, 1793, at about 60 years old. He was buried in a church in London.

William left his remaining plant collection to the Apothecaries' Company. Some of these plants are now kept at the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Natural History Museum in London.

A type of North American plant was named Hudsonia by Linnaeus in William's honor.

Selected works

• Flora Anglica (1762) –1798 printing

See also

• Category:Taxa named by William Hudson (botanist)