| AdminHistory | Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761-1842) was a British botanist and was one of the original fellows of the Linnean Society of London, holding the position of Vice-President there for nearly fifty-one years.
Lambert was born on 2 February 1761 in Bath to Edmund Lambert of Boyton House and Bridget Bourke, daughter of the 8th Viscount Mayo. Upon his mother's death in 1773, Lambert inherited her estates in Ireland and Jamaica, having started school in the same year. He attended Newcome's School for the sons of gentlemen in Hackney and went to St. Mary's Hall at the University of Oxford. Having had an early attachment to botany he joined the Linnean Society at its foundation in 1788, became a Fellow on 19 January 1790, and was later appointed as one of its four Vice-Presidents by Sir James Edward Smith in 1796, a position that he held until his death in 1842.
Lambert collected many plants and drawings, creating a large herbarium, which numbered at 50,000 and was considered one of the most valuable and important private collections in existence at that time, alongside an extensive botanical library. These collections were made available to men of science and every Saturday scientists, travellers and others could use the library to look up information and even contribute their own information they had found. Lambert also published works on the Genera Cinchona and Pinus, and many scientific papers in the Transactions of the Linnean Society.
Towards the end of his life, Lambert's health declined and he took up residence in Kew so he could remain close to the gardens and his friends. He died on 10 January 1842 and his remains were removed to Boyton for burial. |