William Sole facts for kids

William Sole (born 1739 – died 1802) was a British expert in plants. He was known as a botanist. He also worked as an apothecary, which was like a pharmacist who prepared and sold medicines.

Early Life and Education

William Sole was born in 1739 in a place called Witchford, in Cambridgeshire, England. He was baptised on September 28, 1739. Some old records mistakenly say he was born in 1741 in Little Thetford.

William was the first son of John and Martha Sole. After he was born, his family moved to Little Thetford. He had six younger brothers and sisters: John, Sarah, Elizabeth, Francis, Robert, and Martha.

William Sole went to school at King's Ely. After school, he trained to become an apothecary in Cambridge. This meant he learned how to mix and prepare medicines.

Life in Bath

Once he finished his training, William Sole moved to Bath. He opened his own business there with a partner named Thomas West. Their shop was on Trim Street. They taught at least five young people how to be apothecaries.

In 1795, William and Thomas stopped working together. William continued to run the apothecary business by himself until he passed away in 1802.

William Sole's Plant Discoveries

William Sole is most famous for his work with plants. He loved studying different types of plants. He was especially interested in mints. He grew mints in his garden and collected samples from all over the United Kingdom.

Menthae Britannicae

In 1798, William Sole published a very important book called Menthae Britannicae. This book was about all the different kinds of British mints he had found and studied. It made him well-known among plant experts. The book included 24 detailed pictures, called etchings, of the mint plants.

He also studied grasses and the plants growing around Bath. Because of his important work, he became one of the first members of the Linnean Society. This is a famous group for people who study nature.

Sole's Other Works

William Sole also wrote about English grasses. In 1799, he published an article about them in a journal. This article had pull-out pictures of twelve different grasses he had collected. He also created a special book of hand-painted pictures of grasses, which is now kept at the University of Bath Library.

A famous plant expert named Sprengel even named a group of plants Solea after William Sole. Later, these plants were grouped with other plants like Hybanthus.

Later Life and Legacy

William Sole wrote his will just before he died on January 15, 1802. He left his property to his brothers and sisters who lived in Cambridgeshire. There is no record that he ever got married.

William Sole passed away on February 7, 1802, when he was 63 years old. He was buried at the Church of St John The Baptist in Batheaston. His grave does not have a headstone.

Images for kids

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  St John the Baptist Church, Batheaston

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  Approximate location (foreground) of William Sole's grave in St John the Baptist Church, Batheaston.

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  Example from Sole's 1799 article on English grasses.

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  Meadow foxtail grass. Artist unknown. Illustration created for William Sole's book of grasses.