William Turner Thiselton-Dyer facts for kids
Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (born July 28, 1843 – died December 23, 1928) was a very important British botanist. He was also the third director of the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He helped shape how plants were studied and used in the British Empire.
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Early Life and Education
William Turner Thiselton-Dyer was born in Westminster, London. His father, William George Thiselton-Dyer, was a doctor. His mother, Catherine Jane Firminger, was also a botanist.
He went to King's College School where he was very good at math. Later, he studied medicine at King's College London. In 1863, he moved to Christ Church, Oxford to study mathematics. He then switched to natural science and graduated in 1867.
A Career in Botany
After finishing his studies, Thiselton-Dyer became a professor. He taught Natural History at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Then, he became a Professor of Botany at the Royal College of Science for Ireland in Dublin. In 1872, he became a professor at the Royal Horticultural Society in London. He was recommended for this job by another famous botanist, Joseph Dalton Hooker.
Working at Kew Gardens
In 1875, Thiselton-Dyer became the Assistant Director at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He worked under Joseph Dalton Hooker. He stayed at Kew for 30 years, making many important contributions.
He spent a lot of time helping British colonies. For example, he helped start rubber plantations in Sri Lanka and Malaya. He also brought cacao (the plant chocolate comes from) from Trinidad to plantations in Sri Lanka.
In 1877, he took charge of a new international research lab at Kew. This lab became known as one of the best in Europe for plant research. Thiselton-Dyer also designed a new rock garden at Kew. This happened after Kew received a large collection of Alpine plants in 1881.
Director of Kew Gardens
In 1880, Thiselton-Dyer was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists. Famous scientists like Charles Darwin supported his election.
From 1885 to 1905, after Joseph Dalton Hooker retired, Thiselton-Dyer became the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens. As Director, he made an important change in 1896. He hired the first women gardeners at Kew, Annie Gulvin and Alice Hutchins.
Other Roles and Achievements
Thiselton-Dyer held many other important positions. He was a fellow of the University of London from 1887 to 1890. He also represented Britain at big international exhibitions, like the Paris International Exhibition in 1900 and the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. He was a botanical adviser to the government for the colonies from 1902 to 1906. In 1909, he became a member of the court of the University of Bristol.
Important Publications
He wrote and edited many important books about plants. Some of his main works include:
- An English version of Sachs' Text-Book of Botany (1875).
- Edited versions of the Flora Capensis and the Flora of Tropical Africa. These books describe plants found in specific regions of Africa.
- Index Kewensis (1905). This is a huge list of all known plant names.
With his old school friend Henry Trimen, he also published The Flora of Middlesex in 1869. This book described the plants growing in the Middlesex area of England.
Personal Life and Legacy
In 1877, William Turner Thiselton-Dyer married Harriet Anne Hooker. She was a botanical artist and the daughter of Joseph Dalton Hooker. They had one son and one daughter. Harriet Anne lived at Kew for most of her life and passed away in 1946 at the age of 91.
Thiselton-Dyer was honored with the title Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1899. He also received the Clarke Medal in 1892 from the Royal Society of New South Wales. He passed away at his home near Gloucester and is buried in the churchyard of St Peter's, Bentham.
His work greatly influenced the study of botany and the development of plant resources around the world.
